


Our Home

by AlienAlkali



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Comedy, Comfort, Fluff, Husband for sale, M/M, Moonfam, OTP: true, Rated M Just To Be Safe, Ruthari Week (The Dragon Prince), Sick Rayla, Some angst, Super duper awkward elf bois, Will you be my prom date?, You’ll never guess who the apex predator is, no beta cuz we die like men, oh no he’s hot, one shot compilation, there are some sexy times in here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:54:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 24,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24714175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlienAlkali/pseuds/AlienAlkali
Summary: Chapter 1—fluffChapter 2—husband for saleChapter 3 + 4—sick!RaylaChapter 5—not the apex predator auChapter 6—hot springsChapter 7—Ruthari week day oneChapter 8—game of dareChapter 9—convincing RunaanChapter 10—Runaan learns parentingMy bois just being soft. A one shot compilation, so yeah. I’ll add more tags as I go.Send me requests, prompts, theories, other fics you enjoyed, or just spark a conversation.  I’m really easy going. Seriously, though, please comment, I get really lonely often and it’s really discouraging. So, uh, yeah. Here we go!
Relationships: Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 158
Kudos: 196





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really bad in my point of view (idk what you guys think about it), but I promise it gets better. I won’t be hurt if you decide to skip this chapter.

Runaan had been gone nearly a week, now. All Ethari could do was carry on with his work—a brief distraction—and hope and pray to whatever gods or superior beings were listening. Some nights he would lay in bed feeling empty and numb. Others he would cry himself to sleep, the anxiety and worry of his beloved never returning too heavy of a burden for him to bear.

But tonight he would not have to bear that burden alone. Runaan was, supposedly, going to return tonight, filling Ethari with hope. But as the night wore on and Ethari continued his work in his workshop, there was no sign of his beloved.

The sun was starting to creep on the horizon when Ethari returned to their shared home, worried and a little hopeless as he stood atop the balcony of their empty bedroom.

“Oh, Runaan. Where are you?” 

“I’m righ’ here, Ethari.”

Not expecting an answer to his quiet plea, Ethari spun around, alarmed. Standing in front of him now was his dear husband, tall, strong, and unbelievably handsome.

_That bastard has the audacity t’ stand there with a smirk on his lips, now, does he? Thinks he’s real charmin’, huh?_

“Son o’ a bitch! I was wonderin’ where ye’ve been, you cheeky bastard,” Ethari chuckled in relief as he stepped forward to embrace his husband.

“I’ve missed you, too, love.”

Ethari rolled his eyes at the sarcastic remark, taking in Runaan’s scent. Like the forest, but also of dried blood, but he didn’t care. His heart had been returned to him. 

They pulled back slightly and kissed. It was soft and chaste at first, but it soon became a little more insistent.

“Ethari, I—”

“Yes, love?” Ethari chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound filling the air.

Runaan looked down, eyes weary. What had been excitement quickly gave way to concern as Ethari took his husband’s face in one hand.

Runaan looked him in the eyes, giving him a small smile. “I’m just a wee bit tired is all.”

Relief flooded Ethari’s system, glad it hadn’t been something else, something he’d done. He smiled knowingly at Runaan and gave him a peck on the nose.

“Ugh! You smell awful!” Ethari exclaimed, getting a laugh out of Runaan. “Why don’t you get in the shower while I run yer clothes, love.”

Runaan smiled gratefully and slowly made his way to their bathroom. “Don’t take too long, dear. I’d hate it if you didn’t join me.”

This earned a soft blush from Ethari as Runaan started undressing, tossing his clothes to his beautiful husband. _Oh, the things this man does t’ me._

Runaan hummed as Ethari cradled him in his arms. He’d had a strenuous week, Ethari noted as he ran his hands against Runaan’s skin and muscles. He was tense, tight, and had several knots in his back.

“Love?” Ethari started as he finished running his hands through Runaan’s long, damp hair.

“Hmm?”

“Yer muscles are sore, huh?” A grunt in response. “You want me t’ give you a massage, love?”

The tired and sleepy Runaan looked up from his spot between his husband’s neck and shoulder, the need for relaxation visible.

“Would you?”

“Anythin’ fer you, ma heart.”

Runaan had slipped into a bathrobe after washing off and now went to untie it as Ethari stood to grab a bottle of essential oil. This wasn’t the first time they’d done this, and it was done especially after particularly rough missions. 

He warmed the oil in his hands as Runaan lie face down on their bed, moving his hair out of the way. Ethari started off soft, tracing his hands over Runaan’s spine and shoulders, occasionally tapping, sending shivers down Runaan’s spine.

He then rubbed his hands over his whole back, pressing lightly, warming the muscles to his touch, creating an easy, relaxed environment. Ethari’s earlier predicament had been correct: Runaan’s muscles were _very_ tender.

Ethari took it a step further and pressed hard into the muscles after working them up. He kneaded at the shoulders, using his elbow to create circling motions when a knot refused to move, making sure the trapezius got all the attention it needed (no pun intended). He then made his way down to the mid-back, working on the latissimus dorsi. Ethari found this muscle a little harder to access since it was practically the arch of the back. Nonetheless, Ethari stroked the area with his hands in the shape of crab claws in the direction towards Runaan’s heart so as not to disturb the flow of blood. 

Moving on to the lower back, there was not as much trouble here as there was with the upper back, but Ethari could tell Runaan had put quite a bit of strain here. He dug his palms into the tight muscles, pressing down with the weight of his own body, letting gravity do its thing. Afterwards, Ethari put one thumb on either side of his beloved’s spine, applying pressure around but not on the cord, sliding his thumbs upwards towards the neck with easy practice. His strong hands relaxed Runaan’s body with effort, but also with ease.

“All righ’, love.” He patted Runaan’s shoulder.

Runaan, in response, looked up. He had started to fall asleep, but now he could do so with his lovely husband in his arms.

“Thank you, Ethari. I truly appreciate it.”

Ethari lied down next to his heart, arms wrapped around each other. They would both finally get some rest now that the place in the bed next to them wasn’t cold.

“I love you, Runaan.”

“I love you, too, Ethari.”


	2. Husband for Sale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runaan and Ethari get in an ‘argument’, but Ethari’s actions speak louder than his words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I actually wrote a good chapter summary for the first time in my life. 
> 
> This was based off an incorrect quote by @ask-Ethari-anything on tumblr.
> 
> Because I’m a pro, I assume Ethari has a workshop in their home? So, for the sake of the story, just roll with it. I also don’t know if elves are familiar with pineapples, but again, just roll with it.

Ethari was sitting at his desk in his workshop, adding the finishing touches to a newly made blade. It was almost sunrise and Runaan should be home any moment. Rayla had already gotten home and ate dinner.

Ethari was inspecting the blade right as Runaan walked in. His husband did not take the efforts to sneak up on him, thankfully. Ethari wasn’t in the mood for games. 

And neither was Runaan.

“You’re home late.”

“And you’re still working.”

Ethari turned and squinted at his husband, who had the audacity to look at him with a face that lacked emotion. _Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be, huh?_

He turned back to the blade, the tension in the air thick. “Had I known you’d be late, I would have boiled the soup later.”

Rayla hadn’t been hungry when she came home, which was unusual. Rayla was always hungry. Except for when...

_”I’m fine, Ethari, really. Just tired is all,” Ethari recalled Rayla telling him._

_Ethari scrunched his eyebrows together but said nothing as he chopped the mushrooms._

_She sighed and stared at the carrots she was chopping, finally giving in to his silent pressure. “I guess Runaan was just a wee bit more tough on me than usual. I mean, I know he wants the best for me, and he wants to see me succeed, and he really does care about me. But sometimes...”_

_Ethari has stopped chopping his mushrooms by now and had his full attention on Rayla. His look was soft and sincerely concerned. He cared for her wellbeing._

_”Runaan... is like a pineapple. He’s hard and prickly on the outside, but soft and sweet on the inside.”_

_Rayla smiled at that. “You forgot that pineapples can be sour and bitter sometimes.”_

_He chuckled. “Yes, I did, didn’t I? But I suppose no pineapple is perfect, hmm?”_

_”I suppose. Though, that doesn’t explain why he...”_

“Had I known I’d be late, I would have told Rayla before she left. But I wouldn’t have had that chance, either, because she left early.”

Ethari’s ears went red. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have yelled at her.”

He turned to look at his husband fully, now. Runaan’s expression was defensive. Ethari loved Runaan, but sometimes he could be an idiot when it came to other’s emotions. Ethari once told him that, but it never did justice. Words never did.

“She needs to do better—“

“The soup is downstairs in the pot. It’s cold.”

It was just before sunset when Runaan awoke. He must have fallen asleep at some point of the day. Runaan had gotten in bed that morning, Ethari turning his back to him as he did so. The silent treatment. Runaan has kissed the side of his head. Still no movement. _Fine, you stubborn elf,_ he complained to himself as he turned on his side, away from Ethari. Sleep didn’t come for a while.

But Ethari wasn’t next to him in the bed right now. The spot next to Runaan was cold.

After getting ready, Runaan headed downstairs to the kitchen and found Rayla eating a bowl of oatmeal with moonberries sprinkled on top. She said nothing. Just looked up tiredly and slid over an identical bowl.

Runaan felt guilty. He shouldn’t have yelled at Rayla yesterday, and he shouldn’t have gotten defensive when Ethari confronted him about it. Apologies were always awkward for him, though. It was a matter of pride, trying to say the right thing, trying to seem as though he actually did feel sorry. Apologies were supposed to be emotional. Runaan wasn’t the emotional type. He was more of the stabby stabby, _I’ll cut your throat if you so much as lay a finger on my hair_ type.

By the time Runaan had built up the courage, Rayla was already out the door.

Runaan took the liberties of cleaning up breakfast before heading out the door. He wanted to check in on Ethari to apologise for yesterday. He had assumed Ethari would be working, but no.

Ethari was standing in front of the workshop door with a roll of tape in hand. In front of him was a sign. 

_Good Garlath’s beard..._

There weren’t too many elves out and about at this time, but those who did pass the sign looked either amused or confused. Ethari just looked pleased with himself, but there was no mistaking the smug glint in his eyes.

When Runaan reached Ethari, he walked in front of the sign, which read:

**_HUSBAND FOR SALE_ **

Runaan should have known better. It was _the_ sign.

He sighed, a hand caressing his forehead. “Why do you have to do this all the time instead of having an argument like normal couples do?”

Ethari looked him dead in the eye and said, “I need actions, Runaan, not words.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they kissed and made up. 
> 
> Please, leave comments, send prompts, spark a conversation... it gets lonely around here.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this! Sorry it was so short, I’m not good at writing long chapters. It’s kinda my thing. I’m also horrible at writing long paragraphs.


	3. Through Thick and Thin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moonfam goes camping!! Rayla’s fear of water is important to keep in mind. Sick Rayla, caring parents, soft Runaan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt kinda bad for leaving you peeps hanging there with stern and defensive Runaan, so I thought I’d make it up to you! Lots of drama, lots of soft fam, child Rayla, a little angsty, and a little spice.
> 
> So I actually had this plot hanging around in my head for the past month after reading a prompt, so I wrote it out, right? Well, there were a lot of holes in it and a lot of awkward parts that didn’t feel right so I told myself I’d sleep on it. But—and here’s the best part—I forgot to save it. So obviously I was frustrated and told myself to wait a couple days so I could cool down, but no ideas came to me to further develop the story, until right now.
> 
> So, yeah, cool backstory that was sorta a rant. I’m gonna make this a daytime au (where they’re not nocturnal), just cuz I think it would be easier on me.
> 
> **Important note: if spicy isn’t your cup of tea, just skip to the first cut (so the second scene) and you’ll be all good. Only info you’ll have missed was that the moonfam is going camping.**

Ethari was running through the woods; footsteps hard, breathing heavy. _Almost there,_ he reminded himself. _Faster, Ethari. Come on! Just a bit—_

“Caught ya.”

In front of him, hanging upside down from a tree, was Runaan. Ethari came to a sliding stop, but he didn’t have a good grip and if it weren’t for his amazing husband, he would have ran straight into that tree, face first. If it weren’t for Runaan.

Runaan, who had other plans.

Runaan swung down from the tree swiftly as he caught hold of the front of Ethari’s shirt, and instead of stopping him from hitting the tree, he pinned the other elf to it, a dark light in his eyes, his face dangerously close to Ethari’s.

“Well, that was rather graceful, don’t you think?”

“Which part? The part where I almost got my horns stuck in the tree or the part where you saved me?” Ethari teased back, earning a smirk.

“Certainly the part where you almost got stuck to that tree.”

“Then I would have to agree. I am very graceful and majestic, aren’t I?”

“Oh, a wee bit snarky, are we?” Runaan chuckled, leaning in close against Ethari’s ear. “Did I mention I find snarky elves highly attractive?”

Ethari’s breath hitched, his love’s words doing a number on him. Next thing he knew, Runaan had his lips hard on Ethari’s. Ethari’s hands went up his husband’s arms, down his back, fingers digging into the muscle there. And, man, was there muscle there. 

Runaan chuckled from somewhere deep inside him, almost as though he could read his husband’s thoughts. “Like what you see, love?”

He whimpered as the assassin nibbled softly on his ear, hands on his thighs. _Two can play at that game._

“Oh, I _love_ what I see,” he whispered as he gripped Runaan’s ass. The noise that the renown, tough assassin made was enough to make Ethari bite his own lip to stifle a laugh. Runaan found this very attractive.

Ethari slid down the tree and Runaan straddled his hips, kneeling over his love, kissing the soft spot between his ear and jaw, causing Ethari to moan quietly.

“Shh, my heart. We don’t want to wake Rayla, do we?” Ethari gave his husband a nasty glare. _He just had to choose this spot._ Thankfully, Rayla hadn’t stirred.

She was laying down by the campfire, barely in sight. Ethari noticed Runaan had turned his head to look at her as well. All clear. Runaan had his hands on the back of Ethari’s skull and neck in a second as he kissed down his husband’s neck, leaving soft bite marks on the way to his collarbone, removing his scarf. 

They were both trying their hardest not to make any noise. Ethari had slid his hands up the back of Runaan’s shirt. Runaan had Ethari’s bottom lip between his own. And on it went, the passion growing between them, until Ethari put his hands on Runaan’s hips and pulled him into his lap.

Ethari smirked. Runaan, with a faint blush, hummed, “Mmm. This is best enjoyed in a much more secluded area.”

Rayla looked at the wooden stick in Ethari’s hands. In his other hand was a leather vase looking structure with stabby stuff and feathers in it.

“Today, my wee shadow,” she giggled as he ruffled her hair, “we will help you improve your archery.”

Runaan looked up from sharpening his hunting knife, eyebrows slightly raised. “ _We_?”

“Yes, we, dear,” Ethari stated like it was the most obvious fact in the world.

“No. No no. That wasn’t in the agreement.”

“Yes, and neither was you snoring when you’re in a deep sleep, but we can’t all win.”

“Have you _seen_ Rayla try archery?”

“No, because you one day came home and insist she use knives and swords instead.”

“Yes, for a very good reason. I’ve still got the dent in my horn where the arrow hit.”

“Yes, well, what’s an assassin without a bow?”

“Still an assassin, just without a few extra skills.” Runaan winced as soon as the words left his mouth, realising the error in them.

Ethari smiled, having won the argument. “Which makes a dead assassin, correct?”

Runaan huffed and got up to help Rayla with her archery training.

_Good Garlath’s beard!_

The three of them had been at it for hours, and although Rayla has shown signs of slight improvement, much work has yet to be done.

 _”She’s seven, Runaan. You can’t expect the world from her,”_ Ethari’s earlier words rang through his head.

Rayla’s arrow had gotten dangerously close to Ethari’s head and went into the woods. Ethari—in a moment of panic—had ducked in an attempt to dodge the arrow, causing his scarf to fall a little low on his neck. Rayla caught sight of the dark spots on the side of his neck and took note of the way he stood back up, hands on his lower back as though he were sore. And by the events of last night, he probably was.

“Hey, Ethari, what are those on your neck?” Rayla asked curiously.

Both Ethari and Runaan blushed. “Uh, nothing, Ray. Just a rash.” She looked unconvinced, but let it go.

“Oh. Okay. But why are you sore?” This caused them to blush even harder. Rayla looked to Runaan, then back to Ethari, frowning. Something was up.

“Why don’t you go get your arrow, Rayla,” Runaan suggested, relief flooding his system when she nodded and headed into the woods. The two of them looked at each other once she left, a smirk playing on Runaan’s face.

“That was close,” Ethari stated.

“Mmm. But I’d do it every night to you if I could.”

Ethari’s cheeks heated as he wrapped his arms around his husband’s neck, Runaan placing his hands on Ethari’s waist. “Would you now? Is that a challenge?”

Runaan placed a chaste peck on his heart’s forehead. “Promises, promises.”

They both leaned in for a kiss but were promptly cut off by a high pitched scream. In a split second, Runaan had his bow knocked and ready; Ethari reaching for a knife; both on high alert.

Then the realisation hit them: the scream had come from the woods—Rayla.

They sprinted towards where they had heard the noise and quickly found themselves on the edge of a cliff. Runaan had to hold his arm out to stop Ethari from falling off. 

“Oh, God! Rayla—“ Ethari wasn’t able to finish that thought. They willed themselves to look down to assess the situation. They found themselves looking at a tree root that was sticking out of the side of the cliff. On this branch was an arrow.

Rayla’s arrow. 

“She must have reached down to grab the arrow, but it was just out of reach, so she—“ Runaan looked even farther down. There, he saw a ripple from a cold river starting to die down. This could only have been caused from something falling in.

“She can’t swim. I’ll—” Ethari started.

“No. I’ll go down.”

“Are you kidding? Runaan, I’m not loosing you! Are you even listening? You don’t know what’s down there, she—”

But Ethari wasn’t able to finish that sentence, because as soon as Runaan had his robe off, he kissed Ethari on the cheek.

“Runaan!” was the only thing he heard on the way down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I thought I might leave you on this CLIFFHANGER (haha, get it? Because they were on a cliff), but don’t worry because the next chapter will continue off of this one.
> 
> I know, I know. I’m so evil.
> 
> Did you guys enjoy reading chapter one with their accents, or no? I’m thinking about doing it again, but I wanted to know if it was distracting or not.


	4. Through Thick and Thin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two of chapter 3. Lots of fluff, a little angst, but just hold on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for leaving you peeps on a cliffhanger like that. I have no regrets.
> 
> Did anyone catch my pun in the end notes of last chapter? (Haha, I’m hilarious!)
> 
> Also, thanks for commenting! Really needed that!

Scrubbing. Scrubbing. And more scrubbing. This was all Runaan could hear as he lay on top of Rayla’s covers, his face next to hers so he wouldn’t miss the moment she would stop breathing.

Scrubbing. This is all he heard as he lay there, listening to Ethari clean the dishes. 

_The water was cold and fast as Runaan searched desperately for Rayla. That didn’t matter, though. He shouldn’t have been so careless in letting Rayla wander through the woods on her own in the first place._

_Ethari was making his way down the cliff so he could help Runaan pull her out. He was worried. For both of them. He accepted the situation and let his anxiety push him forward. No point in being a mess over it._

_Meanwhile, Runaan struggled to find Rayla. He came up for air, searching for a body on the surface. No sign. He went back under. He did this for about a minute when he found a small body submerged at the bottom of the river, caught in the current and a pile a rocks. Runaan reached for her and gasped as he came up, one arm slung from under her armpit and across her chest to her opposite shoulder._

_Ethari spotted them and quickly aligned himself with Runaan’s path, arm stretch out._

_“Give me your hand, love!”_

_Runaan did so and was pulled to shore by his strong husband, their daughter in his arm, head lolled against his shoulder._

_Ethari put two fingers to the shallow part of her neck, ear to her mouth to see if she was breathing. No pulse, no breath, as expected. He then loosened her tunic, as the wet, heavy fabric would be constricting. Lacing his finger together and placing them on the middle of her sternum, he began chest compressions, counting as he went._

_”One and two and three...”_

_Runaan was still catching his breath, feet in the water, as he sat up on his elbows. He could hear the crack in her ribs with every compression Ethari gave her. He could hear her ribs break. He could hear the cries and screams when she awakes. If she awakes._

Oh, Rayla...

_”...fifteen...sixteen...seventeen...”_

What have I done?

_”...twenty-nine...thirty.” Ethari looked up at Runaan and they locked gazes before Ethari went and gave her two mouth-to-mouth breaths. He continued the process._

Ethari got out of bed. Only half the bed was rumpled. The other half was cold and unused. He would have to start work soon.

He had baked moonberry bread last night and cut it now, putting three slices on one plate and one slice on another. He took both the plates up the stairs to Rayla’s room. Rayla had gauze wrapped around her chest from her fractured ribs. Runaan lay there silently, but he knew well enough the assassin wasn’t asleep.

“You need rest, love,” he reminded gently, setting down the plates on her nightstand.

“I’m fine,” was his only reply. 

Ethari frowned, sitting on the bed. “Then you should eat.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Ethari gently took hold of Runaan’s chin, turning it to face him. He searched his husband’s eyes, but Runaan looked away. Ethari sighed and went to get up. He knew what Runaan was thinking, but he needed Runaan to come to that realisation.

Runaan finally gave in. “I guess I’m just... angry with myself. How could I have let something like this happen? And to Rayla, of all people.”

Ethari smiled softly at his husband as he went to sit back down on the edge of the bed.

“Did you push her?”

Runaan looked back confused. “What do you—“

“Off the cliff. Did you push her?”

“No...”

“Then why do you blame yourself for something you didn’t do?”

“I...”

“When you’re fighting someone and you’re trying your best and you get stabbed, is it your fault?”

“Well... not really, I guess.”

“So if you wouldn’t have blamed yourself then, why would you blame yourself now? It wasn’t your fault.”

Runaan’s eyes were full of thought. Ethari kissed him on the cheek. “Eat up, my love.”

As Ethari took a step through the doorway, he heard Runaan whisper a “thank you” under his breath. Walking down the hall, he heard one of the plates being lifted off the nightstand.

Runaan was helping Ethari fold the laundry in the living room, the first time he could get his brooding husband out of their daughter’s room for days. Runaan had taken off leave so he could care for Rayla as Ethari continued working.

Once they were done folding, Runaan went to the kitchen to grab a washcloth and wet it with cool water. Rayla’s fever wasn’t getting much better; she slept most of the hours, ate very little, would sometimes throw up, and spent her hours awake in agony. 

They both felt bad for her, but they were doing the best they could and gave her tonics as often as possible. One of the assassins on Runaan’s squad had even stopped by to gift them a chicken pot pie and their well wishes. 

Ethari straightened Rayla’s covers as Runaan replaced the old washcloth with the fresh one. Runaan reached for the chair but Ethari gently took his wrist. 

“Why don’t you get some fresh air while I watch over her. A run would be good for you. We can have some of that pot pie when you get home.”

He looked at his husband lovingly and cupped a hand over his cheek. “Thank you, love.” He then kissed Ethari tenderly on the lips before drawing back.

He returned home sweaty, but Ethari had been right. Running would be good for him. He’d hit runners high after about two miles. He almost felt guilty for feeling so elated, but Ethari’s words still rang in the back of his head. 

_It’s not your fault,_ he reminded himself.

Runaan walked into the kitchen and started slicing up the pot pie before heading upstairs.

He found Ethari talking quietly to Rayla, who was now awake. She was squirming and shivering slightly, but she listened as Ethari told her stories.

“—he had looked so stupid just standing there, his mouth wide open, staring at me.”

“So what did you do?” Rayla asked intently. Ethari was feeding her a slice of the chicken pot pie as he spoke. 

“Well, I walked up to him and said, ‘Careful, Runaan. You’re going to catch flies,’ before closing his mouth myself and walking away.” Rayla giggled at that before breaking out into a coughing fit, her whole body shaking. Ethari sat her up and gave her sips of a tonic from a water-skin. She winced. The damage to her ribs must make swallowing, moving, breathing, coughing, laughing, and really just existing painful.

He continued. “Then, as I turned a corner, I looked back to see his expression. It was priceless!” He chuckled softly. “He reached down to pick up his glass of whisky without looking, but instead grabbed the eggnog. As soon as he had some in his mouth, he spit it back out.” Rayla’s laugh was more of a wheeze, then another wince. “Oh, it was one of the best things I’d ever seen! Here comes this tough assassin, and everyone expects him to be cold and reserved; they were shocked to see this big, strong, scary elf with eggnog squirting out of his mouth and dripping down his face.”

Runaan smiled warmly. It had been their first social event together before they started courting. 

“You forgot the roguishly handsome part.”

“I did, didn’t I?”

“You know,” Runaan spoke up, “I could tell her about that time when you put too much cinnamon in the cider, but I think Xadia’s best assassin is getting a wee bit tired.” Rayla looked exhausted and she yawned as her eyes struggled to stay open.

“I’m not tired...” she attempted weakly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The two elves smiled at her stubbornness. Recently, Rayla had learned about these things called “sass,” “stubbornness,” and “sarcasm.” The Three S’s, occasionally accompanied by their friend, “attitude.” Moons above, she was just like Tiadrin. 

“Of course not, my wee assassin,” Ethari teased, kissing her forehead. Rayla’s eyes fluttered closed, finally giving in to the heavy haze of sleep.

“Sleep well, Ray.” With that, Runaan closed the door behind him and Ethari.

Ethari sat behind Runaan as he carefully and methodically brushed his husband’s hair, both of them on the bed. They had both just gotten out of the shower and were now getting ready for bed. Ethari loved doing this, and Runaan loved when he did it. It was so calming for both of them. A good way to end the day. It was late and they both had pajama bottoms on, but they typically slept shirtless. 

Once Ethari was done, he set the brush aside and put his forehead to the base of his heart’s skull, lightly kissing the back of his neck. They stayed like that for a while. 

“Long day at work?” Runaan asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah, the usual. Lots of order requests and what not. What else is new?”

Runaan shifted to sit on his husband’s lap, Ethari burying his face in the crook of Runaan’s neck. Runaan kissed the top of his head, the mood in the room soft and calming. 

“Mmm. Any exciting projects?”

“Both Aila and Freya have asked me to help create their horn cuffs. Aila proposed just last night.” Aila was one of his assassins, and the whole village adored Freya because she was contagious and cheerful and loving and kind. She also ran a bakery. Runaan knew they had been courting for a while now and was happy for the two.

“Did she now? Can’t say I’m surprised. Aila always felt the need to establish her independence and stability.” Aila was quiet and a good assassin. Freya was good for her. They were both a good balance for the other. 

“Yeah.”

They were quiet for many moments while they snuggled against each other, placing soft kisses here and there every few moments. They finally both lay down, arms and legs tangled. Runaan sighed.

“I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. What if she doesn’t get better? We promised them, Ethari. We promised them we’d look after her, keep her safe, but—“

Ethari placed a forefinger on his husband’s lips and shushed him. “Hush, love. I know it’s hard, but we can get through this. We mustn’t loose hope. This family has been through much; we can get through this.”

Tears brimmed the edges of Runaan’s eyes. “What would I do without you, my heart?”

He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. “That’s a very good question.”

And just like that, the two elves fell asleep in each other’s arms. It was the first night Runaan spent not by Rayla’s side in a week.

The sun shone through Rayla’s window as Runaan woke up. The house was quiet, and it was bright enough for Ethari to have already head to work. Runaan hadn’t left her side for the last three days. He sat up and checked Rayla for a temperature. Her face was no longer burning, she wasn’t in a cold sweat, she hadn’t thrown up last night, and she wasn’t shivering. _Is she..._

Runaan checked for a pulse and breathing. It was at that moment that he heard a whine. He looked up and Rayla was scrunching her face, her legs adjusting themselves. 

“Runaan...” came her whiny voice. “I’m _hungry._ Can you get me something to eat?”

If Runaan hadn’t been so elated, he would have noticed the tears rolling down his own face. He nodded absentmindedly. “Of course, Ray. Stay here, I’ll be back.”

Rayla looked confused but did as she was told. She’d never seen Runaan cry. Not even when he broke the news about her parents. Not even when they were ghosted. 

Runaan practically flew down the stairs and out the door, sprinting in the direction of the forge. 

He stopped in front of the door to the forge and walked in, the epitome of grace and calmness. All eyes were on him as he passed by, but they didn’t cease working. What was the leader of the assassins doing here? Runaan hadn’t been seen in over a week, so his presence was a surprise to many. 

Runaan walked up to Ethari, who was hammering at a hot blade, oblivious to the events around him. Runaan cleared his throat and Ethari stopped what he was doing, pleasantly surprised to see his husband here.

“It’s Rayla. I think she’s recovered,” he managed, barely keeping it together.

Ethari’s hammer fell to the ground, barely missing his foot. The two of them rushed towards the door, curious eyes prying. 

When they got to the top of the steps in their home, Ethari gave him an anxious look, and Runaan nodded, lacing his fingers through his husband’s.

Rayla was wincing from the pain in her ribs, clearly having attempted sitting up. They both dropped to their knees on either side of her bed, hands still entwined.

“I thought you were going to get me food, not Ethari.”

Ethari smiled and looked from Rayla to Runaan. “I told you everything would be just fine, love. As long as we trust in one another. Through thick and thin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end.
> 
> For all those who don’t know, when you perform CPR, you know you’re doing it right if the ribs break. Lifeguarding is such a useful skill.
> 
> Phew! That was a lot of work. Requests are always open, feel free to ask! I’d love to write something you people came up with. I love a good fandom theory, too. ;)
> 
> Any theories on how Runaan and Ethari met, or something of the like? Something from when they were younger, when Lain and Tiadrin were around? I’d love to write about the four of them, but I just draw a blank when I try to come up with something.


	5. Apex Predator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Au where elves and humans and dragons are not the apex predator. Runaan and Ethari meet for the first time.
> 
> **Important: (this will sound cruel at first, but I promise it will make sense once you read the story) Adoraburr blood will be spilt in this chapter. I’d explain more, but then it would ruin the drama/humour. No worries, there is no gore or animal cruelty. (I’m not a bad person, I promise!)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just finished season 3 today!!! I’m crying!!!
> 
> This is also another long chapter. It took me three days to write and revise, so lots of effort was put into this. How much, you ask? I had to delete a scene so I could fit a better one in to replace it. It was frustrating to have to delete my own work, but I think it was for the best. I’ll probably have a deleted scene part because it was a humour and fluff scene, and I know how much you people eat that stuff up. ;)
> 
> Special thanks to Abigail for giving me a prompt! Also, thanks for all the sweet and funny comments y’all have left! Really makes my day! And yes, I do read all the comments left.
> 
> I’ll take part in Ruthari week 2020 sometime soon; I prefer to go at my own pace, though. I can’t get a chapter a day out. I’m sorry, I—personally—just can’t. Quality over quantity, am I write (haha, get it?)? But kudos to all those who can get out a good quality chapter a day on top of life. I look up to people like that.

_Shing! Shing! Shing!_

Ethari stood in his workshop sharpening the blade of a new sword. He had just started his own business last week and was rather proud to admit it was the talk of the town, especially among the assassins.

The flow was good, but as of right now, there was no one else here. To be fair, it was work hours for many. Some elves would come in later tonight during their lunch. In the meantime, Ethari would work on the orders that were placed.

Satisfied, Ethari turned from his desk to place the sword in its sheath, but when he looked up, standing in front of him was a tall elf. Surprised, Ethari jumped and dropped the blade, catching it before it hit the floor. Ethari straightened up and looked at the elf. He was tall, had maybe an inch on Ethari; his hair was long and silky; his eyes were a nice shade of turquoise; oh and those muscles—

“Um, sorry to scare you, I...” the elf looked around and Ethari noted that his cheeks were slightly pink. 

“Huh? Oh, no, you’re fine!” Awkward silence. The elf was looking anywhere but at Ethari. They both were. “Oh! Uh, you must need something, right?”

Ethari chose that moment to examine the handsome elf in front of him a little more closely. His skin was sweaty, indicating he had been running out in the forest or working out. His apparel indicated he was an assassin. There were a few weapons visible on his person, and probably some more concealed. 

“Yes. I, uh, snapped the string of my bow and need a new one.” Ethari took note of the fresh scar running across the assassin’s forearm. It probably stung. 

“Oh. Mind if I take a look...?”

“Runaan.”

“Runaan.” He smiled at that before the realisation hit him. “Oh, you’re the new lead assassin! Oh my gosh, I didn’t recognise you! I’m so sorry about that! Erm, congratulations on the new promotion!”

Runaan blushed a deep red. “It’s fine. Most elves don’t recognise me, anyways. And thanks.” His tone indicated that he didn’t mind not being noticed. He probably doesn’t enjoy attention.

Ethari frowned slightly. “Oh. Well, erm, mind if I take a look, Runaan?”

Runaan held out his forearm when Ethari put his hand out for inspection. Ethari blushed. “Oh, um, er— I meant the bow, but I can get you some salve for your arm.”

Runaan’s face was as red as a lunar eclipse. “R-right.” 

He went to hand over his bow, but stopped when he saw Ethari’s hands. Both hands had fresh slash marks across the palms with blood dripping off. He gasped lightly. “Moons above, your hands are bleeding!”

Ethari looked down at his own palms, the sting of pain starting to kick in. “Oh, uh, yeah, that must have been from catching the sword.” He looked behind his shoulder to the sword on the desk with blood on it. He cringed, realising he’ll have to clean it before giving it to its new owner. 

“I’ve got gauze and disinfectant on me,” Runaan said, rummaging around his robe pockets.

“Hm? No, no, I’m fine, really!”

Runaan looked up and arched an eyebrow before pulling out a flattened square of folded gauze and a small flask of what Ethari assumed was the disinfectant. Or it could be the good stuff. One could never be too careful.

“Here, let me see.” Runaan felt guilty for having caused this. The least he could do was fix it. 

Ethari stared at him, mesmerised as he cleaned the wound, but looked away blushing when Runaan returned his glance.

“This might sting a wee bit,” he heard Runaan mumble.

Ethari bit his lip to prevent him from wincing as the salve was applied and the gauze was wrapped tightly around each palm. Once Runaan was done, he mumbled a thank you before Runaan handed him the bow.

Ethari decided to spark a conversation while he inspected and noted the type of bow, what it was made of, the weight of the string, and other components. “So how did it snap?”

“I was running through the forest on a, uh... quick mission. As I drew it back, the string snapped and slapped me.” He left out the details of the mission; a banther had been terrorising travellers and assassins, dangerously close to the Silvergrove. They were native to Katolis and were towards the top of the food chain, providing all the more reason to slay the beast. Runaan had taken it upon himself and a small party of assassins to take care of the matter. No one was killed, but several were injured.

Ethari noticed the vagueness Runaan used when describing his mission and thought it smart not to question him further about it.

“And you’ve kept the string dry?”

“Yes.”

Ethari gave a satisfied nod as he handed the bow back. “Well, it seems that your bow and its string is quite old and not made of the most durable materials. I’m surprised the bow itself hasn’t broken, considering it is made of wood.”

Runaan shrugged to himself. It was a gift from one of his fallen comrades. Although he was emotionally attached to the bow, he knew that he would have to get a replacement at some time.

“I could make one for you,” Ethari was saying.

Runaan’s eyes snapped to Ethari’s, who was trying his best to repress a blush. Runaan, unfortunately, didn’t have as much luck trying to do the same. 

Ethari opened his mouth to try and cover up. “I mean, of course, only if you want me to! I’d totally understand if you didn’t, though. Do you?” He looked up shyly. 

Damn. Why did he have to be so cute?

“Uh... I, er— um, yes! I’d love that,” Runaan blurted a little too quickly for his liking. Ethari noticeably brightened at that.

“Okay. I’ll have it ready by the end of the week. I have a string you can use in the meantime.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

Lain and Tiadrin were at the training grounds sparring each other. They were just newly married and were so happy whenever Runaan sent them on missions together. Especially when it was just the three of them. As much as they liked training together and conversing as they did so, the conversation they were having was something that had been bugging them both for a while and needed to be addressed.

“Lain, you can’t seriously mean to tell me that”—she swiped a left hook—“you haven’t noticed a change in Runaan’s behaviour.”

“No, I have.” He attempted to knock her off her feet. “I saw the other day that he was hitting a tree with his sword.”

“Yeah, and then he took it in for repair?” Tiadrin dodged a roundhouse.

“I guess so. He asked later on if he could borrow one of my own swords until he got a new one.” He groaned as the air got knocked out of him. Tiadrin had kneed him right in the solar plexus. He remembered how she’d kissed that spot just the other day. “I asked him about it, but he just brushed it aside.”

She grunted. “So that’s why he has my mother’s sword.” She tried to punch him in the nose, but he blocked and twisted her arm behind her back. “Augh!”

Lain smirked and bent over to place a slow kiss to her neck. Tiadrin turned her head and kissed his lips passionately, knowing he would let his guard down. And he did. He put his hands on her hips, and Tiadrin chose that moment to flip Lain over her shoulder, kneeling over him and pressing one knee to Lain’s chest, a hand loosely at his throat.

Although Lain was just slightly stronger in the arms, Tiadrin was stronger than him in the legs. 

“I surrender,” he huffed. She smiled. 

“He keeps going to see that craftsman, Ethari,” she stated. “And he’s acting strange. He’s much more distant than usual and whenever he sees Ethari, he stutters and turns red. At lunch yesterday, I caught him smiling.”

Lain looked thoughtful. “What do you think it means?”

Tiadrin laughed. “Oh, you’re so dense, babe. I’ll tell you when you’re older.” 

She patted his cheek and he gave her a questioning look. She sighed and explained. “I think Runaan is head-over-heels for Ethari.”

Lain took a moment to digest that information before his face went serious and he stared her straight in the eyes. “I think you’re right.”

The day wasn’t too far away. Ethari could tell from the deep purple and vibrant pinks and oranges that hovered like mist over the horizon. He’d been in his workshop all day putting together Runaan’s new weapon: a bow blade. One of his best inventions yet. It was truly genius, but it had taken much work and sketching.

Ethari considered himself to have decent archery skills, but he was nowhere near the level of proficiency of the assassins. Well, not yet, anyways. Archery was a common skill amongst the elves. It was a dangerous world out there, after all.

He had taken the newly finished bow blade and was testing out the strength and feel of the bow. Was the string heavy enough? Was it too light? Would the bow have the proper amount of friction so it wouldn’t be slippery when Runaan was sweaty? There were many things to take into consideration when designing a weapon, and that’s why Ethari had made a list of these questions a long time ago. If it were too heavy, it would be a burden when on missions, which could get him killed. If it were too light, Runaan might misjudge the power and not shoot right. Many things could go wrong. Many things that Ethari did not want to think about at the moment.

Ethari took a standard weighted arrow that were distributed to the assassins and nocked it to the bow string, making sure the shaft of the arrow was rested on the left side of the bow, him being right handed and all. He reminded himself to use the muscles in his back rather than his arms. He drew, sucked in a breath, aimed, and shot. He hit his target with 100% accuracy. _If I can do it, so can Runaan._

He then selected another arrow, this one heavier as it was good for sending messages. He nocked the arrow, drew, aimed, fired. Almost. It had just barely missed the target. Ethari missing could be caused by either him not being the best archer, some sort of flaw in the arrow, or some sort of flaw in the bow itself. Any sort of flaw could get Runaan killed. He decided to try again. 

He took up the same arrow, nocked it, but as soon as he drew, he felt cold hands running along his arms and a warm breath down his neck. He’d been caught off guard, but had enough wit about him to keep the bow steady.

“Here, you might find yourself more successful if you aim a wee bit more up and to the side.” Ethari could recognise that deep voice anywhere.

Runaan. 

Ethari inhaled just a little at Runaan’s hands on him. One was at his forearm, the other was at his elbow, which was drawn back. Runaan pushed Ethari’s elbow up ever so slightly before moving it to his waist so he could keep Ethari steady as he gently nudged Ethari’s back foot over slightly with his own foot. His hand rested there. 

“That’s better.” His whisper made Ethari’s skin tingle and prickle, especially at the back of his neck. 

Ethari could feel Runaan’s eyes on him as he held his breath and fired. He hit the target.

“Good.”

Ethari lowered the bow and turned his head slightly to look Runaan in the eyes. Runaan tried real hard to resist the temptation of kissing Ethari right then and there. It would be inappropriate. But Ethari’s slightly parted lips were plump and _right there!_

Runaan reluctantly removed his hand from the craftsman’s waist and gave him a wink before backing away. Ethari’s stomach did something weird as he watched the tall, muscular, brooding, sexy assassin back off into the shadows and through the woods.

_Goddamn._

Runaan was out on a mission with Lain, Tiadrin, and a large amount of other assassins. Tonight, they were out to put down a small portion of adoraburrs, which had grown significantly in population within the past few months, posing a threat to the food chain and, well, moonshadow elves. Adoraburrs were the apex predator, meaning they were at the very top of the food chain. They were very dangerous and were not to be messed with. 

Many elves in the last month had gone near the meadow where the population was thickest and had not returned. An adoraburr could do damage by itself but was strongest in numbers. And they were always abundant in numbers.

He unslung his new bow blade from his shoulder and detached them to form two swords, checking to make sure that the blades were still in good condition. It still blew his mind. They had a little farther to go until their targeted area, so Tiadrin and Lain took the time to talk as they rested. 

“So... new weapons?” Lain asked all nonchalant. 

Runaan raised an eyebrow. “No, Lain, I’ve had these since we were wee children.”

“All right, cut the bullshit, Runaan. You’re not fooling anyone,” Tiadrin spoke up. Runaan looked to her confused and with a flame of anger in his eyes.

“I don’t think I understand what—“

“I think you do. Lain and I both know that you’ve been coming up with excuses to go to Ethari’s workshop.” 

Runaan opened his mouth, but Lain cut him off. “Dude, you practically jumped up when I told you that I needed to repair my knives.”

“Pfft. No I didn’t.”

“Yeah, then you practically begged me to let you take it to Ethari’s.”

Runaan rolled his eyes, but Tiadrin wasn’t having it. “Runaan, you need to tell him how you feel. You’re going to destroy yourself if you don’t.”

Runaan looked between the two of them before standing up and announcing they were going to get a move on it.

Lain nudged Tiadrin in the ribs playfully. Tiadrin punched him back, playfully, of course. 

“Told you he would deny it. Pay it up, big boy.” Lain groaned at Tiadrin’s grin.

The fight with the adoraburrs was intense. Lives were lost on both sides. That’s what happens when you challenge the apex predator. Adoraburrs were only at the top of the food chain because they got smart with their cuteness and their ability to stick together.

Runaan and his assassins came back late, tired, and depressed. The mission had to be done, though. Overpopulation of adoraburrs would mean an imbalance in the food chain. 

On the way home, one of the assassins had gotten tangled in a poisonous, large plant. Had Runaan waited another second, they would be dead. Now, two other assassins carried them on a makeshift carrier as they all danced their way into the Silvergrove.

Runaan led them back and dismissed them all to their homes for the day, plenty of them making their way to the infirmary. More than Runaan would like to admit.

Runaan started heading in the direction of his home when someone caught his attention.

“Hey, Runaan.” Ethari. He tried for a smile, but it didn’t meet his eyes. Ethari knew the consequences of the mission. All of Silvergrove did.

“Ethari,” Runaan greeted half heartedly, inclining his head.

Ethari hesitated. “Listen, I... was wondering if you had anyone to go to the next full moon gathering with?”

Runaan was taken aback. This wasn’t something he was expecting. Ethari took a look at his expression and realised that now probably wasn’t the best time. He had just come back from a hard mission.

“That’s fine if you don’t want to, though! Sorry to bother, I was just—“

But Ethari wasn’t able to finish that sentence because Runaan stepped forward, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and kissed him. Ethari’s eyes widened before he leaned into the kiss.

“I’d love to go to the next full moon gathering with you.”

Ethari’s face was an adorable shade of red as he tried to come up with a reply. He pointedly avoided the curious glances of passing elves, most of whom were assassins. Runaan smiled at the flustered elf in front of him.

“Uh, um... okay.” _God, I’m such an idiot._

“Have you had dinner yet? I was just about to go home and eat, but I’d love for you to join me.” 

Ethari smiled shyly. “Yeah, I’d love that!”

Runaan slipped his hand around Ethari’s waist and they both headed towards his house. On the way there, Runaan caught Lain and Tiadrin spying not-so-subtlety. Both of them had a smirk plastered to their faces. Lain wiggled his eyebrows up and down, causing Runaan to blush deeply.

“I told you he’d ask him out before the full moon. Pay up.”

“Oh, my dear Tiadrin, were you not listening? Technically it wasn’t Runaan who asked him out. Technically it was Ethari.”

Tiadrin looked him in the eyes from below. Damn tall people. He smirked and she blushed, knowing very well what the deal was. “Fine, you win this time.”

“What? Tia is admitting defeat?”

“Please, don’t make me regret this. You’ll get to enjoy your reward in bed,” she said hotly.

“Oh, I know I will. And so will you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And cut! Nothing to see here!
> 
> I spent more time researching what Ethari’s dominant hand was when shooting a bow and arrow than I’d like to admit.
> 
> Written after the second cut, the following was replaced by the third scene you all know and love (the one where Runaan gives Ethari pointers on how to shoot a bow).
> 
> **DELETED SCENE — Scene 3, Version 1**
> 
> Ethari never heard Runaan enter. Not once. And he never came when others were in the shop, either. Rather, he felt his presence like shadow were lurking about. He felt his eyes as though Ethari were prey. Maybe he was. _God, I’d love to be his dinner,_ Ethari thought dreamily, then had to stop that train of thought before it got too far.
> 
> He turned from his seat in his workshop to find Runaan standing there, eyes bearing into his soul. He’d stopped jumping from surprise once his sixth sense had developed somewhere between visit two and three. But it only worked when Runaan was around. 
> 
> “Runaan! I’m glad you’re here!” Ethari chirped. Runaan’s heart fluttered at that. “I finished your sword and your bow. I’m still working on your friend’s knife, though.”
> 
> “Oh— wait. You’re already done? With both of them?”
> 
> “Yeah. Want to see?” He didn’t wait for a response, he was too excited to show Runaan his skills. Crafting was his passion. 
> 
> He took out a silver bow. It was quite lovely. “Get this: it’s not just a bow. It can transform into a sword, as well.” He showed him how to do so and relished the face Runaan made. It was one of pure delight. 
> 
> “Wow. Ethari, I... I don’t know what to say.”
> 
> “You’re welcome,” he said smugly.
> 
> “Thank you.” Ethari’s heart melted at the sincerity in his voice.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lain, Tiadrin, Runaan, and Ethari take a trip to the hot springs. Tiadrin and Lain set Runaan and Ethari up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested by Angie_Is_Alive
> 
> Reminder that moonshadow elves are nocturnal.
> 
> **Important: nudity is shown in this chapter, but no smut. (They are going to a hot spring, so...)**

The knock on Runaan’s door was rapid, but not quite urgent. Excited. Runaan groaned as he moved away from the kitchen where he was cooking breakfast. The knock had come from lower down the door, about five feet from the ground.

_Tiadrin._

It was a miracle she hadn’t just snuck in. Something must be up. He confirmed this theory when he opened the door, a wide smile spread across her face.

“You’ve disturbed me before I’ve had my evening coffee. This better be good.”

“Runaan! As perky as ever, I see.”

“What do you want, Tia?”

She gave him a scary look. Tiadrin hated that nickname, and Runaan knew it. She sized him up. He had a good foot and two inches on her, excluding the horns. _I could take him right here,_ Tiadrin told herself. _I could go for the kneecaps... no one would have to know._

She cleared her throat. “Mind if I have breakfast? Mum went off to work early and Dad burned the omelettes.”

He nodded and stepped aside, closing the door behind her. Runaan was sixteen and had been living on his own for about a year. He never shared why.

“Coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

Runaan boiled two pots of water; one for coffee, one for oatmeal. The sun was starting to set, but Tiadrin’s energy wasn’t. He could feel it. She wasn’t usually like this.

“Alright, spill,” he said as he sat down with their coffee and oatmeal. Tiadrin rolled her eyes.

“Fine. Lain and I were thinking about heading down to the hot springs tomorrow since we have the night off and were wondering if you wanted to come?”

He raised an eyebrow. “And?”

She groaned. “Ethari will be coming along, too. So, you doing anything Friday night?”

Runaan blushed and Tiadrin smirked. So that’s what this was all about. Ethari. Coming to the hot springs. With them. Swimming. Probably half naked. What could possibly go wrong? “Well— I—“

She chuckled as he turned a darker shade of red. “Listen, you don’t have to come along. But I think you should. It could be fun. Just the four of us hanging around.”

Runaan considered this. He liked Ethari. A lot. But they were just friends. Right? “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt—“

“Great! We’ll meet up by the hot springs at dusk tomorrow.”

Tiadrin chugged down her coffee and practically inhaled the remainder of her oatmeal. And just like that, she was out the door.

Runaan just stared off into space. _Moons above, what have I gotten myself into?_

Lain, Tiadrin, and Runaan were all relaxing in the hot springs. The water was nice and it flowed from one tub to another.

“So... where’s Ethari?” Runaan asked, going for casual.

“Oh, he said he might be a wee bit late. Y’know, craftsman stuff and what not.”

They had all undressed so they could bathe in the warm water. Tiadrin insisted they all turn around and shut their eyes. She’d done the same when they had gotten in. Lain was leaning back against the edge of the tub, Tiadrin taking care not to show anything below her collarbone as she soaked in the water.

“Ahhh. We needed this.” That was true. Their guild master had pushed them extra hard this week. They were nearing the end of their training, meaning they needed preparation for their first mission. The warm water was doing wonders for easing the tense muscles in Runaan’s body.

The three assassins-in-training went on alert when they heard rustling from the bushes, but relaxed when they saw Ethari.

“Hey, guys! Sorry I’m late, I was working with an elf on an order. They wanted it a certain design.”

“Nah, you’re all good, bro,” Lain responded. “I’m just glad we hadn’t jumped you.”

Ethari stood for a moment, thinking about that. “How would that work if you’re all naked?”

Tiadrin smiled. “It wouldn’t really matter if they didn’t live to tell the tale, now, would it?”

Ethari snickered. “I guess not.”

Lain sat up all of a sudden. “Oh, Garlath’s beard! I just remembered, Tiadrin. We totally forgot about our special training!” Tiadrin digested that before her face broke out into one of near panic. 

“Oh my god, you’re right!”

Runaan looked between the two of them, clearly confused. “Hold on, now. What are you two talking about?”

“Last night, right after training,” Tiadrin spoke up, “the guild master came up to us both and said she wanted us for training in a mission-like environment. That way we could get experience of what it’s like in a high pressure situation. It came up all of a sudden. We’re going to be late.”

“How come she didn’t want to see me as well?”

Lain smiled at that. “Runaan, we all know you thrive in environments like those. Besides, you won’t be alone. You’ve got Ethari.” He winked.

Runaan studied their faces and realised what they were doing. They were trying to set him up! 

“Alright, boys. Turn around,” Tiadrin commanded. They all did as they were told. Once Lain had dried off and dressed, they both walked away with a “goodbye,” snickering. _Oh, they think they’re so clever, don’t they?_

Runaan turned to Ethari, who was now looking at him. “I’m, uh, going to undress now.”

Runaan blinked before realising what Ethari wanted from him. “Uh, right.” He shut his eyes and put his hands over them. 

“No peeking,” Ethari teased, earning a blush from Runaan. Runaan totally didn’t peek. He was a respectable elf, he knew better. Totally didn’t see the way his back muscles scrunched together, or how his biceps flexed, or how sturdy his thighs were. Definetley not.

“All clear.”

Runaan opened his eyes right as Ethari had gotten waist deep in the water, and Ethari didn’t miss the other elf staring at his abs. He bit back a grin. 

“So...” Runaan attempted.

“So...”

There was an awkward silence as Ethari settled in deeper, letting his muscles relax. 

“You’re going to graduate to a full on assassin in a couple weeks, right?”

“Uh, yeah. They’re going to assign me to the special tasks force.”

“Wow! Really? That’s amazing. It’s a really big honour.”

“Yeah. Tiadrin and Lain are thinking about going into the special tasks force, too. But they’ve always wanted to do Dragon Guard.”

“Will they be able to switch?”

“Yes. Many of the moonshadow elves in the Dragon Guard were once assassins, some even special tasks.”

“Oh. That’s really neat. Well good for all of you.”

“T-thanks.”

They soaked in a little longer before they both dunked their heads under the water to clean their hair and face. Ethari laughed when Runaan came back up, his hair all up in his face. When he tried swiping it away, it just tangled.

“Here, let me help,” Ethari insisted, moving to sit behind Runaan. Runaan just barely stopped his breath from hitching.

Ethari ran his hands through the assassin’s long hair, starting at the ends and making his way up, occasionally pouring some water over his head. The hair was silky, he noted as he brushed the tangles out. Runaan sat very, very still.

“Relax, Runaan. Your muscles will become stiff if you keep sitting like that.”

Ethari then stood up so he could get the top of Runaan’s hair untangled. Runaan blushed, but Ethari thought it was just because of the water.

“There you go.” He then went and dove into the water. The tub of the spring deepened towards the middle. A little more that eight feet deep.

“Hey!” Runaan laughed as Ethari splashed him. “Jerk!”

They both splashed at the other before Ethari fell forward in the water, grabbing onto Runaan’s shoulders for stability, taking them both down. Runaan caught stable foot hold and brought them both back up, laughing.

Their laughing died down slowly when they both realised how close their faces were to each other. How close their bodies were. Somewhere in Runaan’s mind he registered that Ethari still had his hands on Runaan’s shoulders. Runaan had one hand on the small of Ethari’s back, another between his scapulas. Ethari’s hair caught the moonlight just right as Runaan held him dipped down above the water. Oh, how he wanted to kiss him.

Runaan looked away. “I should dry off,” he excused himself, bringing Ethari to his feet and pulling back.

Ethari frowned slightly. “Okay.” He was too enchanted by Runaan to remember that he should look away when Runaan got out.

“Cute butt.” 

Runaan froze. He must be red from his ears to his toes. “W-what?”

It was at that moment that Ethari realised what he had just said. “Uh, I— um...”

_Great going, Ethari. Now he probably thinks you’re a pervert. Nice._ How was he supposed to get himself out of this one?

“I said... you have a cute butt.” _Nooooo! You idiot! That is very much_ not _what you should say._

“Uh... thanks?”

Ethari was so embarrassed, he wanted to just die on the spot. Runaan got a towel wrapped around him and started drying off while Ethari scrubbed his hair in one of the small waterfalls to make sure there was no grease or dirt in it. Once he was done, he looked over to Runaan, who was putting a shirt on.

“Hey, you mind grabbing me some of my clothing?” Ethari asked shyly. Runaan looked around and grabbed the first thing he saw: Ethari’s boots.

They both looked at each other and blushed. Ethari was looking around for his towel before he remembered, “Oh! I forgot to bring my towel!”

“You can borrow mine,” Runaan suggested. 

“Really? Thanks.” His smile made his heart melt.

Runaan tossed his towel to Ethari as the elf got out of the hot spring tub and dried off, taking his clothes from Runaan.

“Hey, I had fun tonight, Runaan. Seriously.”

“I did too.” 

Once Ethari was dressed, Runaan put his arm out. “The woods are a dangerous place, you know. You want me to escort you back home?”

Ethari’s smile was as bright as a full moon as he linked his arm through Runaan’s. “I’d love that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my longest chapter, and probably not my best, but hey! I got a semi-good quality chapter out in under 24 hours! :D
> 
> Reading this through again, this chapter makes me cringe a little. I probably could’ve done better on the flow of it and Runaan’s and Ethari’s interactions... let’s just say I’m much better at writing post-relationship content.
> 
> This was one of those one shots were a friend says, “hey, you two doing anything Friday night? Because I’m not, have fun!”
> 
> I promise the next one will be full of drama and maybe a little angst... 😏 *evil cackling* It’ll take two or three days, though. Probably. There’ll be plot!


	7. I Remember That Very Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runaan and Ethari super soft moments. And angst. A little angst.
> 
> *passes around the tissues* you’ll need them.
> 
> Ruthari Week 2020, Day One: Dreams | Light of (my) life.
> 
> **Important: Sexual references are made in this chapter, but, as always, no smut.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I lied. This is not the one shot where there was going to be lots of drama and whatnot. I’m sorry. That was wrong of me. However, I have a really good explanation as to why...
> 
> So I was up for five hours hooked on this crazy post-canon theory I’d come up with last week, except this time I was actually putting together a plot. Yeah, you heard me. I plotted out most of my theory. Which means I will be writing it (soon-ish). However, I’ve decided that it’s not really a one-shot, so I thought I wouldn’t put it in this compilation, because that would make no sense, right? I mean, it’s a full on fanfic on its own. So as soon as I write the first chapter of this theory fic, I will let you guys know. Will I continue the one-shots? Of course! Will it be at the same pace? Probably not. I might have to take a day or two longer to post one-shots because I’ll be doing two different works at the same time. Don’t worry, there won’t be too many chapters. Also, I am moving within the next three weeks, so there will also be some delay there.
> 
> Anyways, here’s Ruthari Week Day One! I know I’m late, but I prefer to set my own pace. First person, Runaan’s POV, because I want this to feel more personal.

I remember that first night we met. You had moonberry surprise all over your face! I still don’t know how it got there, and I don’t really care. All I know is where we were heading. Would I have done anything differently had I known we would end up together? Had I known we would end up like this? At first, I would have said yes. But now? There isn’t a thing in this world I wouldn’t do to see you.

One

last

time.

I remember Tiadrin looking up at me. I knew what she and Lain has been thinking. I didn’t dare look up.

“He’s been looking in your direction all night, Runaan,” Tiadrin had pointed out rather impatiently.

“So?”

“ _So,_ you should go talk to him.”

I kept my eyes on my moonberry wine. We were at the full moon gathering, and the feast was great, but that wasn’t why I had come.

 _”Come on, you big oaf of an elf!”_ the memory of Lain trying to drag me along with him to the gathering still fresh. _”You’re coming and that’s final!”_

It was the thought of Tiadrin having to come in and drag my ass to the gathering that had motivated me to come.

I had looked at Tiadrin, clearly unamused. I wasn’t one to socialise, and if the whole village hadn’t known it by now, then they better. Most elves would steer clear from me for multiple reasons, but not Ethari, who was now making his way towards me with those dazzling eyes and—

_Wait. Ethari’s walking this way? Nooooo!_

“Hey, Runaan,” he greeted kindly. Lain and Tiadrin looked at me and gave a thumbs up as they backed off to give us some privacy.

I gulped. “Hi.” I had to remind myself that I was in public and there were people around. I was not going to come undone by some cheeky elf just because I thought he was cute. And kind. And supportive. But that was besides the point.

“You want to dance with me?”

I couldn’t contain my blush as I took his hand and we danced to the music, all eyes on us.

I remember that first dance.

I remember the night I invited him to the meadow. We had gone many times while we had been together, but this night was special. I had adoraburrs cover his eyes while I led him to the meadow. We both laughed as he asked me where I was taking him.

I remember how he stumbled over a rock and I caught him. His smile was the most precious thing in the world when I gently shooed the adoraburrs away. We had picked flowers and made each other crowns out of them. He had flopped onto the grass and got covered in adoraburrs. I had helped him pick each and every one of them off his body, watching his blush glow in the moonlight.

I remember arm wrestling with him. He always won. Except for when I tickled him. I remember how those arm wrestling matches would sometimes lead to wrestling on the ground, which would sometimes lead to kissing sessions. 

I remember how we would roll in the grass or point out the different constellations. We would share stories from when we were little and the crazy and funny things we’d do. I remember his laugh. Oh, the things I would do to hear it one last time.

I remember getting down on one knee.

I remember asking him to marry me.

I remember him pulling me close to kiss me that very night.

I remember the morning after we got married. I took him to our new home and we went upstairs, clothes falling on the way to the bedroom. It was the first time we had made love. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other. How could I forget?

I remember the way he shivered in his sleep. I still couldn’t believe it as I held him close. I still couldn’t believe how he ever thought me worthy of his love as I calmed him when he had nightmares. I still couldn’t believe he was mine. I still can’t.

I remember how he woke me up with gentle shoulder and neck kisses when we woke up the next evening. He would do it every evening from then on. He was always so gentle with me, so soft. He always worried he might break me. He always worried it would be the first time he couldn’t fix something.

He shouldn’t have been the one to worry.

I remember that very night, Ethari. It was our last night before I left. I remember this one well.

“She’s not ready, Runaan.”

“She’s not a wee child anymore. She can handle herself.”

“You know damn well that’s not what I’m talking about.”

I remember looking into your bright, intelligent eyes. They pleaded with me. They begged.

“Please, Runaan. Don’t do this.” I remember how soft and small your voice had become. I remember my heart breaking at the sight of you weeping silently.

I looked away.

I remember...

You took my jaw in your hands.

I remember...

“I don’t like it, but I can accept it. You will always have my heart, Runaan.”

How I should have listened.

Clinking. The clinking of chains is all I could hear now. Not Ethari’s voice or his laughter. There was none of that here.

Cold. It was always cold. This time, Ethari could not be here to keep me warm. There was no warmth here.

Empty. The room was always empty. I was the only thing in here, and yet my presence could not fill the area. Ethari and Rayla could not be here to take up all the space of this room.

I did not wish it on them, either.

These were the thoughts running through my head as I woke from my dream. Ah, yes. I remember, now.

I remember...

I... I remember...

Viren.

Nothing but Viren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So obviously everything was just memories in the form of dreams. This takes place right before Runaan is placed in the coin because why not. In case you were wondering, the second to last scene takes place right after Runaan tells Ethari the news of their mission.
> 
> Runaan wants revenge and has been tortured enough to think about nothing else, I don’t make the rules.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this, because I certainly did! 😃 Angst is so therapeutic for me, I don’t know why. I should do this more often. ;)
> 
> Again, sorry for the lies, I hope this made up for it. And I got it out in under 24 hours with 2 hours of sleep, no coffee, and a work shift! Yay!
> 
> *Me, revising this:* oh... oh. Maybe if I don’t say anything they won’t notice. (If you catch my error, 1. good for you for paying attention, 2. It’s too much work to fix it.)


	8. The Chickens and a Game of Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern day AU where Ethari and Runaan go to Prom together. But there's a twist with a game of truth or dare...
> 
> **Important: cussing and the illegal use of drugs, alcohol, and other such substances can be viewed in this chapter.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who planned Prom on a $4,000 budget for a whole year, I'm still bitter Prom didn't happen. }:( But we won't get into that.
> 
> Lets forget about the age difference between some of these characters and say they're all the same age in this AU.
> 
> Sorry for taking a while to post! I've been going through some stuff and have been trying to get back to normal. Something you need to know is that I am currently in the moving process, so I'm not sure how often I will be able to update for the next two months. Sorry for the delay, there's just a lot going on and life is crazy.
> 
> I hope this makes up for the delay! I know it's frustrating, I'm sorry.

They were up to things they shouldn't have been doing. Senior year and Ethari and his friends were out partying. Everyone was either getting high, drunk, or both. A bunch of kids were smoking and vaping in the driveway. One of the popular and very rich kids was hosting the party while her parents were away. Her name was Janai. Ethari didn't know her very well personally other than her girlfriend was deaf, but he knew that Lain and Tiadrin had a lot of connections. It was a really nice home and just about the whole senior class had showed up. It was the Senior Prom Dare Party. It's an honour for whoever hosts the party, but the expectations were high with it supposed to be one of the grandest parties of the year. The concept was pretty stupid, Ethari thought. Basically, a whole bunch of seniors gathered to get high and drunk and then everyone would get together at midnight for a game of dare. The host would start off the first round and pass a bottle of some alcoholic beverage to the person of their choice, who would then take a swig from the bottle before completing their dare. And if they chickened out, then they would have to ask someone out to Prom. It was some serious stuff, and a couple sober kids from the school news team came to cover what's new and hot.

The sun had set about an hour ago and Ethari was already on the roof with Lain and Tiadrin passing around a vape. Everyone below and around them were chatting, dancing, getting wasted, and other stupid stuff.

"So, Ethari, who you asking out to Prom?" Tiadrin asked with a smirk, wiggling her eyebrows. Prom was a little over a month from now and he still didn't have a date yet. Which was fine and all, most people didn't, so it wasn't anything to worry about. 

He blushed, catching the implication behind her question. "What makes you think that I'll chicken out of my dare?"

"Come on," Lain spoke up, "you don't seriously think that you will complete a dare? You know how competitive these dares get."

"Yeah, you heard about what happened to Khessa last year for her dare." Tiadrin shivered. Yeah. We all know what happened to Khessa.

"We don't talk about what happened to Khessa." She will forever be remembered as a savage and a legend. Respect.

"Hey, this is a party, not a funeral," Lain chipped in, taking out a flask. "So lets party. To tonight, and what ever will come from it."

The party was great. They danced, they joked around, they caught up with other people. The mood was light and warm as everyone progressively let loose the further the night went on. Drunk people are funny. Before Ethari knew it, it was midnight. He knew when the moon was high and DJ Soren stopped playing music. Soren was cool. A little dumb, but pretty chill. They had zoology class together. Then Janai and Amaya stepped up onto the raised concrete stage and Janai took the microphone and turned it on.

"Wazzup, ma dudes?" she asked, getting a cheer from the crowd. She wasn't drunk, but definitely on _something._ Her parents had a whole bunch of glass tubes with tall flames all over the backyard, casting a fiery glow around everyone. "Guess what time it is?! GAME! OF! DARE!"

The crowd roared and gathered around the stage. Amaya starting signing something in ASL and Janai translated. _"Here's what you're going to do: gather in a wide circle and we'll all take turns daring someone. Janai will start off, passing around the whiskey before you complete your dare or chicken out. If you chicken, you have to ask someone out to Prom right then and there. You better choose wisely, because if they say yes, you're stuck with them for a night at Prom. If they say no, then you're off the hook. Once you complete your dare, or ask someone out, then you sit down in the centre of the circle and wait for everyone to finish. Only rules are that you cannot kiss someone else's significant other, Janai is allowed to intervene if she feels it gets too out of hand, and you can't dare Janai or someone that has already gone."_

Amaya looked to Janai, something soft in her eyes. Janai smiled back and took her girlfriend's hand. "Alright then, any questions? No? Okay, then lets start!"

It took a couple minutes to get a large group of drunk and high teenagers into a large circle, but everyone managed. Once everyone was ready, Janai took out the first of many whiskey bottles and raised it up for everyone to see. Once everyone calmed down, Janai turned to Amaya and handed her the bottle. Once Amaya took a swig, Janai smirked and signed while speaking. "Amaya, I dare you to get a makeover from me."

Amaya's eyes widened for a moment before she recovered her wit and shook her head, a smile playing at her lips. The crowd "ooh-"ed and chanted "ask!" as Janai just stood there looking absolutely shocked as Gren, who was standing on the other side of Amaya, pulled out a bouquet and handed it to Amaya, who got down on one knee and signed something to Janai.

Janai broke out to a wide grin and nodded several times. "Yes. Yes!" Amaya got up and Janai tackled her in a crushing hug before they both kissed passionately. 

They were already thirty minutes into the game, but no one was getting bored. Some crazy shit had gone down and it would only get better. A new rule had been made where a chicken had fifteen seconds to choose someone to ask out. Janai had even pulled out an hourglass. So, Soren and Corvus are a thing now. Sarai had just come out of the nearly freezing pool, as part of her dare. Harrow had placed a bet of twenty dollars if she stayed in there for a whole minute. Sarai, being the stubborn girl she is, did. She then passed the bottle to Tiadrin and dared her to go dumpster diving.

Tiadrin, ever the dare-devil, did. 

She then passed the bottle to Lain. "I dare you to confess your feelings to the one you love."

His eyes went wide before he turned to Janai. "Wait, can she even do that?"

"Technically, there is no rule against it," Janai replied.

"Yeah, but then I'm asking someone out either way."

"Not exactly. If you accept, you declare your feelings to the one you love. If you chicken out, you ask _anyone_ out to Prom."

Lain sighed and looked Tiadrin in the eyes, who just smirked. "Tiadrin... I-I... I love you. A lot."

Tiadrin's smile wavered before his words sank in. "Holy shit," she whispered. Lain kept his eyes down. 

"I get it if you don't--" Lain started, but was quickly cut off by Tiadrin's fist punching him in the gut. He hunched over in reflex and Tiadrin took that chance to kiss him softly. 

"I-I love you, too."

Lain's smile was the brightest I'd ever seen it. "Will you go to Prom with me?"

"I'd love to, Lain."

The crowd then cheered and Lain passed the bottle to me. "I dare you to pull Runaan's socks off." Runaan? Who was Runaan? "With your teeth."

My cheeks went red and the crowd did that "ooh-"ing thing again.

"What?! No! No way!"

"Alright then. You have to ask someone out to Prom and pay Tiadrin fifteen bucks." Tiadrin made a bet earlier that Ethari would chicken out of his dare.

Too stubborn for his own good, Ethari swallowed down his pride and looked around. "Fine. I'll do the dare. But who's Runaan?"

A tall boy, about the height of himself, and a little less muscular than Ethari stepped forward, his face also red. 

Oh no. 

"That would be me." 

He's _hot._

Ethari spun on Tiadrin and Lain, knowing damn well that Ethari had a thing for tall and slightly muscular boys. And that he was gay. Very, very gay. They just smirked and chuckled. "Okay. Fine. Lets just get this over with."

It was very awkward as Ethari knelt on the ground, his teeth around Runaan's sock, hands tied behind his back at Lain's request. He could see a bunch of other kids had gathered around with their phones pulled out and filming, most of them probably live. This was so embarrassing. Once, Ethari's teeth lost their grip on the sock and had scraped lightly against Runaan's skin. Ethari could have sworn he heard a soft moan come from Runaan's throat, but it must have been his imagination. But that didn't help to tamper his slight arousal, especially since Runaan was sitting on the ground with him, his ankle resting on Ethari's shoulder. Why did the guy have to have such long socks? God.

After two minutes of struggling, Ethari finally got the sock off. Everyone cheered and Ethari passed the whiskey to Claudia. Lain handed him a large bottle of wine before Ethari chugged it all down. He would regret it later, but c'est la vie.

Claudia had rubbed peanut butter on her face and agreed to keep it there for at least an hour. The whiskey kept going around. Ibis snorted tranqs. Opeli handed her bra to a guy, but she kept her shirt on. Corvus licked the floor. Annika called Neha's mom and told her she had feelings for her daughter. Neha asked Annika to Prom. Viren got locked in Janai's room with Harrow (Sarai thought this was a good one). Aaravos played fluff bunny (he, amazingly, can fit thirty in his mouth *looks to Viren*). Kasef got it on with Ibis in a closet. Gren set embarrassing photos of himself as his insta profiles pictures (he had a lot of followers before, but he somehow got over one hundred new followers in the past ten minutes). Nyx called her ex and asked for a pleasure favour (her ex said no). A couple people refused, some hearts were broken, some hearts were complete.

The whiskey kept going around. Finally, the bottle got handed to Runaan.

"Take Ethari to your room and fake an orgasm loud enough for your mom to hear," one of the girls was saying. A couple people had gotten in a car in order to complete their dares. These people had to bring someone along to have them live stream the dare so that everyone knew it happened.

Runaan turned red. "Uh..." _God, please don't._ "No."

The crowd did a drunk "ooh" and Ethari sighed. The girl smirked. "Then ask someone out to Prom."

The hourglass was turned and Runaan looked around, desperate to find someone to ask as the crowd chanted. There weren't many single people left since the round was almost over. His eyes caught Ethari's. Ten seconds. Ethari was still single. And gay. Runaan stepped forward. Five seconds.

"Ethari, will you go to Prom with me?"

God, what to do? He wasn't out to many people. He couldn't say yes.

"I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was not revised, sorry if you find any mistakes. I'm on my laptop, so there shouldn't be as many mistakes as when I'm on my phone.
> 
> I'm thinking about writing a "what if Runaan carried out his dare." That would be interesting. Hehe.
> 
> Requests always open!


	9. Convincing Runaan 101

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla finds a window for her to gain some independence, even if just for a week. Runaan is hesitant, so Ethari attempts to seduce his husband.
> 
> Non-nocturnal au. Because I can.
> 
> **Important: scene 2 displays sexual content. But no smut.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiiii!!! Sorry for not updating in... what? A week? Yeah, sorry for that. My family is currently in the middle of a HUGE move so I’ve been really busy packing the house and making sure my siblings don’t destroy the hotel. Or worse: get a noise complaint. 😩 I swear all their arguing is going to drive me insane. That, and the fact that we still don’t have our visas... cutting it pretty close, but okay, State Department.
> 
> Meanwhile, I’m finding every chance I get to write a chapter in bits and pieces. I’ve been working on this chapter for four days... 👀
> 
> But, yeah. Just skip scene 2 if spicy isn’t your cup of tea. You won’t have missed much.

The two husbands had Rayla sit down at the table. Ethari was standing, leaning his arms against the back of the chair across from her while Runaan leaned against the wall nearby, part of his body covered in shadows and his arms crossed. Rayla was picking up on Ethari’s nervous energy as he tapped his fingers on the chair and shook his leg. Runaan stared at the wood floor, still and silent.

“So... what is it?” Rayla asked after a few minutes of just sitting there.

Ethari looked up at her, seemingly having forgotten that anyone else was in the room before he glanced back at his husband, who flicked his eyes up to return the glance. Rayla could’ve sworn she saw Runaan nod ever so slightly.

Ethari cleared his throat. “Rayla... Runaan has to go for a week on a mission.”

She rolled her eyes and smiled. “I know. But I hardly see this as a problem. He’s gone on longer and harder missions.” Rayla knew about Runaan’s mission. He was taking three other assassins with him to guard an elf on the council on his long journey. They would be doing scouting, too, of course. It wasn’t difficult. And one week was nothing compared to the last mission he went on. Two months. Two months and Rayla had no idea what had happened. Why was this such a concern?

The two men shared another glance. “Yes, well... I also have a craftsman convention to attend... for a week. Starting tomorrow morning.”

It took Rayla a moment for the weight of those words to sink in. Runaan was leaving tomorrow morning for his mission. And Ethari was leaving for his convention tomorrow morning. Each for a week. They would both be gone for one week, in which Rayla would be on her own. Rayla will be home alone for one week.

_Holy mother of the moon. I’m going to be home on my own for a week!_

Runaan saw the exact moment when Rayla realised this and decided he better intervene before she goes flying through the roof.

“Now, Rayla, I understand you’ve never been home alone for such a period of time before and that this may seem a little exciting and all,” and that’s the part he was concerned about, “but we’ve asked Freya and Aila to watch you while we’re gone.”

Rayla’s shoulders slumped and her face fell when she heard this. Aila was one of Runaan’s assassins and Freya was her wife, who ran the bakery. They lived not far from here and she’d known them since she was little. 

“Wait, what? I don’t think I need a babysitter,” she chuckled humourlessly. Runaan and Ethari both raised an eyebrow at that. “I’m thirteen and I’m almost done with my assassin training. I can take care of myself.”

Rayla couldn’t tell what Runaan was thinking, but she saw that Ethari still looked doubtful. “I don’t know, Rayla. It’s not that we don’t trust you. It’s just... what happens when you’re cutting vegetables for dinner and you cut yourself? Or you accidentally trip down the stairs and hurt yourself?”

Rayla’s face softened. She knew they both just wanted the best for her, and right now that was safety. “Well, you could ask Aila and Freya to check in on me every once in a while to make sure I’m alright.”

Runaan’s face hardened. “Yes, but what if someone sneaks into the house while you’re asleep and catches you off guard, hmm? What will you do then?”

Rayla scoffed. “That’s not going to—“

“You don’t know that!”

Rayla froze and stared at him, surprised by his outburst. Ethari looked to him with sadness in his eyes. Rayla had heard bits and pieces of the story behind when someone had snuck into his home when he was a teenager.

“I’m sorry,” Runaan whispered. “I just don’t want to lose you, too.”

She felt bad for pushing too far. They both loved her very much, and she loved them. But maybe a little independence would be nice. Even if just for a week. 

Ethari sighed before walking over and pulling her into a hug. “Runaan and I will talk about it tonight, okay? It’s late. You better get some rest.” She nodded as Runaan walked over.

“We love you, Rayla,” Runaan reassured. She knew that. But it was nice to hear it. She sighed, content and tired as they both embraced her in their arms.

Runaan got out of the shower and put some pajama bottoms on. He went back to the bathroom to grab his brush and do his nightly hair routine, but was unable to find it. 

“Hey, honey, do you know where my hair brush—?” Runaan started. When he turned around, he saw Ethari with a silly smile and his brush in hand sitting on the edge of the bed.

“C’mere. It’s tradition that I brush your hair the night before a mission.”

He smiled softly at his husband and sat down on the bed in front of him, legs crossed. He closed his eyes and felt the gentle pulls and tugs of his heart running the brush through his hair. They usually spent this time to wind down from their spent days, but Ethari had other plans.

“You know,” Ethari whispered into his ear, “our daughter _is_ a very good assassin.” He placed a kiss below his ear. “Top of her class, right? And she’s always on alert.” He placed soft kisses and nibbles along his husband’s neck. “I hear that’s what makes her such a good assassin.”

Ethari’s seductive voice was doing things to Runaan and Ethari knew it. 

“I... just don’t want anything to happen to her.”

“Mmm. I know. But she deserves a little independence. After how hard she’s been working and all.”

A shiver went down his spine when Ethari turned around and sat in his lap. Ethari smirked and leaned forward to kiss Runaan. It was slow at first, but the meaning behind it was not lost. Runaan ran his fingers through Ethari’s hair, the kiss quickly turning passionate and needy soon after. Ethari put his hands to Runaan’s chest and pushed his back down onto the bed.

“Oh?” Ethari just smirked in response. Not that Runaan was complaining. Ethari kissed under his jaw, to which Runaan sighed. “This is nice. We should do this more often.”

Ethari chuckled. “You like that, hmm? How about...” He put his hand to his husband’s navel, causing Runaan to gasp, lust flaring in his eyes. “No, I still feel like we need to have a conversation about what we’re going to do with Rayla.”

“It can wait,” Runaan managed. Ethari shook his head before nipping at his husband’s ear.

“After what I’m going to do to you tonight? I don’t think so. You’ll be too exhausted.” He rubbed his thumb lightly around the soft skin, causing Runaan’s muscles to twitch in response. “Now, about Rayla. You said you wanted her to stay with Aila and Freya?” Ethari’s voice teased. He kissed along Runaan’s collarbone.

“Hnnnnngh... Ethari,” Runaan pleaded. He needed friction, not teasing.

“No, I think that’s a fair idea. So lets discuss it.” Runaan whined. Ethari was going to want to have a long discussion until they came to an agreement. _That cheeky, stubborn bastard._

“Ethari, please.” Runaan needed more, and there would be no way he could concentrate on having an intelligent conversation at the moment. Ethari knew this.

“I see your concerns, but I believe this would be a great opportunity for Rayla to learn about responsibility. She will, after all, have to keep the house in good condition and prepare all of her own meals.” He continued his playful teasing. “She’ll also have to manage her free time and—“

“Nnngh, fine! You win.”

“Hmm? What was that?”

“You win. Rayla can stay here as long as someone checks in on her often,” Runaan caved. 

Ethari grinned and kissed his lovely husband on the cheek. “Well I’m glad we’re on the same page, then. I’ll go tell Rayla that—“

But Runaan was wrapping a leg around Ethari’s waist and his arms around his neck. His voice dropped and he gave his best half-lidded, _I’m about to undress you_ look. “Oh, no. Rayla can wait. I’m not done with you.”

Runaan awoke the following morning just before dawn. He woke to his husband breathing under him, the memory of last night still very much fresh. He smiled. Ethari looked so peaceful in his sleep. And those _biceps?_ Damn! His husband was hot and cute at the same time and he didn’t want him to ever change. 

Then he realised _what_ had woken him up. He had heard the light tread of footsteps at the end of the hall. He heard them now. He immediately went on high alert, but quickly identified whose they were. Runaan had memorised the footsteps of everyone he came in contact with and these ones belonged to Rayla.

He groaned as Rayla came bouncing through the door, a little too chirpy for this early in the morning.

“Mornin’, lovely guardians!” Runaan was starting to regret their decision. “I hope you slept well last night!”

He felt Ethari stir beneath him, groaning at being waken so early. “Rayla...?”

“Yep! You both need to get up or else you’ll be late. Also, I made breakfast.” Runaan thanked the moon that the covers had been pulled up to his mid back, otherwise she would have seen some unpleasant things. Like how Ethari’s hand was placed just above his own ass. Or that they were both completely naked. But it wasn’t an uncommon sight to see them on top of each other shirtless.

“Come on!” She bounced on the bed and tugged at their arms. “You need to get uuuuup.”

“Yeah, we’ll be down in a minute.” Rayla rolled her eyes but soon gave up. She was already dressed in her training uniform. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea.

She was halfway out of their bedroom when she stopped and turned around. “Oh, by the way, you’re both not as quiet as you think you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I LOVE the concept of Ethari brushing Runaan’s hair! It’s sooo soothing.
> 
> In case you guys didn’t understand (which is fine, I probably didn’t make it that clear), that last sentence Rayla says is about how she heard them... doing stuff last night. We stan a clever Rayla. ;) 
> 
> God, I hope I didn’t overdo the touchy touchy stuff. I hope my writing in that scene wasn’t too awkward.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this! Comments and kudos are always appreciated! Requests are always open! If you requested a chapter, chances are I completely forgot, so don’t hesitate to remind me!


	10. Runaan Learns To Become A Parent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Lain and Tiadrin are on duty for the Dragon Guard, Runaan and Ethari watch over—and struggle with—their baby daughter. Runaan has yet to understand the ways of parenting. The ways of people.
> 
> Non-nocturnal au because every time I make them nocturnal to follow canon I always have to remind myself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER 10! Look at that, we’ve already gone through 10 chapters. ^^
> 
> Whose ready to celebrate with lots of fluff? Cuz I am! I’m still having OFD (Obsessed Fangirling Disorder) from the official tdp announcement. WE’RE GETTING A SAGA! FOUR MORE SEASONS!!!! THEY BETTER RETURN RUNAAN BACK TO HIS HEART BY THE END OF SEASON 5 ‘CUZ I WANT TWO WHOLE SEASONS OF RUTHARI, BABY!
> 
> So, as you can tell, I’m in a really good mood, and when I’m in a really good mood, I tend to write a lot of soft, funny, light-hearted, good-natured fanfics that are very good for the soul, so here you go.
> 
> Toast to the gods! 🥂

A cry broke through the silent air and the two elves groaned. Children. They were going to be the end of him, Runaan swore it.

“Ethari, it’s your turn,” Runaan grumbled for the umpteenth time that night. How were they supposed to sleep?

Ethari looked to the clock on the wall. “She’s your daughter before four.”

He groaned. “I’m tired too, Ethari. But I got up last time.” Rayla’s cries grew louder and Ethari pulled the pillow over his ears.

“Get up,” he growled, his voice dropping to a dangerously low tone. Had Runaan not known better, he would’ve thought his husband was threatening him. 

He swung his feet out of bed and winced when they were greeted by cold wood. He made his way to the nursery, a headache already replacing the one he left (Ethari). Runaan didn’t know how it was physically possible for a child to screech so loud. 

When he walked into the nursery, Rayla was in her crib squirming, her face scrunched and red. She had tears running down her cheeks. He grabbed her from under the armpits and held her in his arms. He grabbed the baby bottle and put it to her lips. She sucked for two seconds before going back to screaming, refusing to eat anything else. He groaned and went through a mental list of things to calm a baby. Hungry? Nope. Dirty diaper? He sniffed her diaper. Nope. Bored? He handed her a toy, but she dropped it on the ground. Nope. Tired? Probably.

 _Tiadrin and Lain are going to pay for this when they get back,_ Runaan thought bitterly. He didn’t know what else to do! What could the child _possibly_ want that he couldn’t think of? He tried entertaining her with sock puppets and other toys until finally Ethari must have gotten tired of the crying.

He walked in with heavy bags under his red eyes to a sleep deprived assassin trying desperately to pacify their niece. (Yes, he already tried the pacifier.) Ethari took a moment to take in the scene for what it was for. 

Runaan looked up when Ethari chuckled. “What? If you’re going to make a comment about how you could do it so much better, then don’t.”

But his lovely husband just shook his head and reached for Rayla. “She’s a baby, Runaan. Not one of your assassins. You need to treat her like such.” He placed her in Runaan’s arms, who cradled her. “And sometimes babies just need a little bit of love.” He nudged Runaan’s arms, a reminder to rock her from side to side. She immediately stopped crying. “Just like everyone else.” He winked and kissed him on the cheek before heading off to bed.

Runaan stared at him, mouth open, as he rocked their niece side to side.

Tiadrin and Lain came back two weeks later. Ethari was walking home the evening they were supposed to return, running late because of an order he was working on at the forge and got carried away. Runaan had taken the day off to look over Rayla, so he wasn’t worried, he was just supposed to cook Lain and Tiadrin’s homecoming dinner. 

He rushed through the door in a hurry to get started but stopped when he found the plates, glasses, and silverware all set out. Not only that, but salad had been prepared and he could smell chicken in the oven. By the looks of the seasonings neatly placed on the counter and the freshly squeezed lemon in the trash, the chicken must have been well prepared. Moonberry moscatos were placed in buckets of ice. He smiled, the sound of laughter from upstairs catching his attention.

He climbed up the stairs and into the nursery, and his heart melted at what he found. On a blanket on her stomach, Rayla was giggling as Runaan—also on his stomach on the floor—blew huffs of air onto their niece’s face. Every once in a while he would come close and touch his nose to hers.

It was the cutest thing he ever saw. 

Ethari couldn’t contain his laughter when Rayla sneezed on Runaan’s face. He grabbed one of the baby blankets and knelt to wipe his husband’s face. 

“Here, let me,” Ethari insisted. Runaan only sat up and smiled. “I see you have made a new best friend.” Rayla made some adorable squealing noise that babies make. 

“Yeah. I guess some people just need love.” Ethari got the impression that they were no longer talking about Rayla anymore. The look his husband gave him was the softest. Rayla yawned and fell asleep right there on the floor. They both chuckled as Ethari went to pick the tiny elf from the floor and into his arms. Runaan kissed her forehead before the two husbands made their way down the stairs, hand in hand.

They went to sit on the couch while waiting for Lain and Tiadrin to arrive, making small talk about their days.

“Thank you for preparing dinner, love,” Ethari commented sleepily.

“Anything for you, my heart.” Runaan was barely managing to keep his eyelids open. It wasn’t long after that they both fell asleep.

Runaan should have woken up, but he was too tired to notice two elves breaking into his home. And Ethari was a heavy sleeper, so that wasn’t much of a help. In all fairness, though, the two burglars were highly trained in the ways of stealth.

Lain and Tiadrin stood over the three elves, taking in their exhausted expressions as Runaan and Ethari rested their heads against the other with Rayla sitting in both their laps, also knock out. 

“Oh, we are so never going to let this down,” Lain whispered. “Should we wake them?”

“No. Lets give them a moment while we go home and change. I’m sweaty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos are always appreciated! And, of course, requests are always open! 
> 
> I believe this chapter was requested by @Perlelas. The scene you requested was Lain and Tiadrin finding Runaan and Ethari passed out against each other, but I just had to add to the fun! Obviously everything is better with baby Rayla in it! ;) Thanks for the cute little idea!


	11. Let Me Fix It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runaan struggles with training new trainees. He gets injured, but Ethari is crafty.
> 
> Back to canon nocturnal elves.
> 
> **Important: the second scene is spicy. No smut.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cringed while editing this, so please forgive me this time. I would have made it less cringy, but that would mean I would have to redo the whole chapter. I kinda just started writing and this is what happened, so that was that. The next one will be better, I promise!
> 
> Scene one, dry humour. Scene two, spice. Scene three, fluff.
> 
> There is a reference made to one of the earlier chapters. It’s in the first paragraph, and it’s more like a line that was used in an earlier one shot because I liked using it.

Winter was always bitter, and so were new trainees. Some more than others. Most of the trainees could take criticism and orders just fine, but others liked to retaliate. “The Three S”s: Sass, Sarcasm, and Stubbornness. Occasionally accompanied by their friend, Attitude. Also known as ASSS. Runaan sighed. Update: usually accompanied by their friend, Attitude. He sighed.

“Liam, the whole point of this exercise is to go unseen _and_ unheard. Let’s do it again.” The assassins groaned.

They practiced the drill several times, Runaan having to correct some mistake or another every time.

“Aila, your swing was sloppy and weak. Again.”

Aila glared daggers at him, which was not a fair decision considering he was much more experienced in the art of knife fighting than she was.

“Runaan, we’ve been at this for _hours._ My girlfriend expected me to be back two hours ago.”

“I’m sure your girlfriend can wait. Again.”

“We’re cold and tired!”

“What, and I’m not? I said again.” There was something close to dangerous in his tone now.

But apparently the young elf didn’t get the hint. “Well, you’re just standing there and yelling at us.”

“My six year old knows when to shut her mouth better than you.”

The air went still as the tired expressions of the other elves took sudden interest in their shoes. Aila stood there, slowly comprehending the full meaning behind what he had just said. 

Runaan cleared his throat. “I understand that you have all worked hard tonight and we’re all on edge because it’s cold and you’re exhausted and you don’t want to be here. I want to be with my family, too. But we’re all just going to have to suck it up and shoulder our burdens.” He turned to look Aila in the eye. “I push your limits so you can improve. If there is even one flaw you make, when you’re out on a real mission, you’re a dead elf. I’d rather not have to tell your parents that their baby girl died.”

The sun had been up for the past four hours when he walked out of the shower. He had a towel wrapped around his waist as he walked into his bedroom, running his brush through his long tangles of hair. Frustrated, he tugged at the knots before the head of the brush snapped off from the neck. The day had been rough enough already, he didn’t want to have to deal with breaking his brush.

He was about to huff in frustration when he noticed Ethari leaning against the doorframe, a smirk gracing his lips. Ethari must have already showered because he was clean and smelled of soap. That, and the shower had been wet when he got in.

“You look like you’ve had a nice night,” Ethari hummed as he made his way slowly to his dearly beloved, breathing controlled.

Runaan rolled his eyes, arms raised and hands behind his head as he brushed his hair. He’d gotten all the big tangles out but was doing it over again to make sure. One can never be too careful.

His cheeks warmed as Ethari ran his own hands down the sides of his body, resting where the towel sat on his hips. He leaned forward, breathing against Runaan’s neck. “But I think I might show you an even nicer day.”

Runaan set down the head of the broken brush and cupped Ethari’s face. “Mmm. Is that so?”

The kiss was slow, but filled with love as the pace started to pick up. Next thing Runaan knew, Ethari had a hand on his chest and was backing him up against the wall. They both smiled into the others lips and Ethari made his way to Runaan’s neck, causing Runaan to shiver.

“Ethari, wait—” he gasped as Ethari kissed the soft spot on his collarbone. “What about Rayla?”

“Don’t worry, love, she’s tucked in bed. Snug as a bug,” he winked.

“Really? She didn’t cause any trouble about it?” Another puff of air.

“No, not a word, unlike you,” he implied seductively.

“That’s... strange,” Runaan remarked, ignoring that last part.

Ethari paused, seeing the wheels in Runaan’s head turning. “Don’t worry, she’s fine. She played in the meadow earlier, so she was spent by the time I tucked her in.”

Ethari’s eyes were soft and reassuring, but Runaan was still unsure. Seeing as to the fact that Runaan was distracted, Ethari straightened up and put a hand on one of his husband’s cheeks. “Why don’t you go check on her? If she wakes, she’ll be happy to see you.”

“If she wakes?” He chuckled and put a hand on top of Ethari’s. “I think you forget who you’re talking to, dear.”

“Oh, my apologies, _Leader of the Assassins._ I completely forgot of your legendary stealth. Oh, how I quiver in fear at how unbelievably attractive it makes you.”

“As you should,” Runaan teased, giving his husband’s ass a small squeeze before turning to get dressed in his nightwear.

“Oh, and how lethally sexy that great, big ego of yours makes you,” Ethari continued, watch lingering as Runaan’s towel fell to the ground as he grabbed for a pair of underwear.

“Oi, are you peeking? Gosh, you’re so naughty.”

“Mmm. That’s why you married me, right?” he chuckled. “But you love me.”

“Unfortunately, I tragically do,” Runaan responded with a straight face (pun not intended), causing Ethari to reach for a pillow from the bed and throw it at him.

“You’re a bastard!” Ethari laughed.

Runaan was training a different group in combat that night when one of his assassins interrupted, skidding to a stop two feet in front of him.

“Sir, urgent news from the border.”

And that’s how he found himself with a large gash across his shoulder. You’d think one would have thought to bring a stitching needle in their first aid kit (or whatever Xadian equivalent), but no. The best they could do was stop the bleeding, disinfect the wound, and wrap it up with gauze.

He made an attempt to shut the door quietly and sneak up to his room for a shower—being considerate that it was midday and Rayla and Ethari should be sound asleep. But Ethari was pacing around the living room when he stepped in. 

Ethari looked up and went to throw his arms around his magnificent husband. “Oh, thank the moon above, I was so scared!” He quickly withdrew his arms, however, when Runaan winced and stiffened. “Love, what’s wrong? Are you all right?”

Runaan shook his head. “My shoulder,” he managed, hand cradling his opposite shoulder. 

Ethari helped him to get his shirt off, not prepared for what he was about to see. He gasped before his jaw set in determination. “I can fix it. Go on up to our room, I’ll be right there.”

Ethari grabbed some medical supplies before heading upstairs to their room, Runaan sitting backwards on a chair, his back facing their bed. Ethari washed his hands before he sat on the edge of the bed, needle and thread in hand. 

“This may sting a little.” Runaan grunted as Ethari applied the disinfectant to his shoulder. Next, he put the needle through the skin, Runaan not even tensing.

“What happened?”

“Trouble at the border. Nothing too exciting.” Ethari raised his eyebrows at that but kept stitching. Runaan sighed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to tell you. I had to leave immediately.”

“I know. One of your trainees came to tell me during lunch that night. It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“Ethari... I will never understand how you do it. I know this isn’t what you agreed to when we married—“

“There were a lot of things I didn’t agree to,” he chuckled.

“—but thank you. For being patient and loving.”

Ethari melted and kissed the nape of his husband’s neck. “Anything for you, love.”

Ethari took a while longer to finish off the stitching before he made Runaan shower as he prepared him some leftovers from dinner. After Runaan was ready for bed, he gratefully ate the bowl of soup. Struggling to lift his arm, Ethari spoon fed him himself.

“Let me help you, love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awkward ending! Cringy story? I thought it was, but I’d love to hear your opinion.
> 
> Requests are always open! Requesting for a chapter usually means I will get something out sooner because then I won’t have to come up with something by scratch.
> 
> Sorry that the updating is slow. I’m still waiting for my vistas to come in so we can actually move and I am currently working a job, so...
> 
> But please tell me what you think! I love constructive criticism!


	12. I’ll Keep You Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the “not-the-apex-predator” au except it’s not a pick up from the last one. 
> 
> Runaan doesn’t have enough assassins to send out to control the adoraburr population, so when Ethari needs to represent the Silvergrove in the Annual Xadian Blacksmith Convention, Runaan goes along to protect him as a bodyguard. Or so he thinks.
> 
> Adoraburrs are also poisonous in this au?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More awkward Ruthari? The au no one asked for but the one y’all will love. 😜
> 
> As for all those who gave me prompts on tumblr, I will do those next. (Once I finish editing chapter 2 of _The Things We Never Said)_
> 
> A curse word is used in this chapter.

Runaan let out a frustrated sigh as he considered his options. Just about all of his assassins were out on some important mission and the adoraburrs were overpopulating. Again. The Silvergrove prided itself in the work of a few particular blacksmiths, so it would be outrageous if they couldn’t go to the Annual Xadian Blacksmith Convention. Runaan couldn’t let that happen, nor could he let anyone die if he could do something about it.

And that’s how he found himself by the edge of the Silvergrove waiting for the village’s best blacksmiths the next evening, watching patiently as one of them made their way up the hill.

“You must be Runaan,” he inquired friendly. “I’m Ethari.”

God damn. He. Was. _Hot._

Ethari let his hand drop after several seconds of Runaan staring at him and not shaking his hand. An awkward silence fell over them as Runaan came out from his daydreaming, scolding himself at coming off as rude.

“R-right.” Runaan had heard of him before. The Silvergrove’s best weaponsmith. Probably the best in all of Xadia. He cleared his throat. “Where are all the others?”

“Oh, well, they got concerned when you informed us that there has been a rise in adoraburr attacks due to overpopulation. So, they decided not to risk going this year.” 

Runaan was half listening to his words, but his mind blanked out when Ethari scratched the back of his neck. It was a cute, soft gesture. But those _muscles?_ Mmmm, they were looking _fine._

_Stop that. You came here because you have a job to do, not to flirt._

“I see. Well then. I guess we better get started on our journey.”

This was going to be a disaster.  
.  
.  
.  
The trip on the way there was quiet and took three days. Runaan made sure to be extra cautious on the road. He didn’t want pretty boy getting hurt. 

There had been a couple close calls when on the road, but thankfully nothing Runaan couldn’t handle. The path they took meant it would take longer to get there, but that’s why they left early. It was also safer and less used. Runaan’s moonstrider and Ethari’s shadowpaw made the journey a little quicker, too. Thank the moon above for symbiosis, otherwise the two elves would be their dinner. 

They arrived at the designated campsite and set up camp by the edge.

“You hungry?” Runaan asked.

“Famished.”

“I’ll hunt some game, then.”

Ethari nodded. “I’ll go to the market to get something to drink”

Runaan bit his lip, considering the offer. That could be dangerous. What if a pack of adoraburrs attack him on the way? Isn’t he supposed to _guard_ Ethari? 

Ethari seemed to sense Runaan’s concerns. “I’ll be fine. Besides, going to the market is safer than going into the forest.”

After several minutes of Ethari assuring him, Runaan sighed and took his bow into the forest as Ethari made his way to the market. 

Runaan came back thirty minutes later with two Xadian Songbirds to Ethari with a bottle of moonberry moscato and a campfire ready. Runaan put the birds on a stick and grilled the birds over the fire in silence. What was there to say? 

Several minutes later and the birds were done cooking. He handed the stick to Ethari and sat down to sharpen his sword. 

“You’re not going to eat?”

“Hmm?” Runaan looked up.

“Well, it’s just that you cooked two birds and I am only going to be able to drink half this bottle and I would think that after a long journey you would be hungry and want to relax.”

Runaan just shook his head. “No. I’m not very hungry,” he lied. Ethari frowned, knowing this wasn’t true. He knew plenty of assassins. They were always hungry.

“Oh. Well, I think you need to taste this for me. The birds could have eaten adoraburrs.” Runaan considered this. Adoraburr fur is poisonous, but only to some species, such as elves. A Xadian Songbird would have been just fine. “You don’t want me to get poisoned, do you?”

No, that would be very bad. Ethari was his mission. He gave in and took the stick from Ethari. He took a bite of the bird and his mouth almost overflowed with saliva. “Moons above.” It was good. “Er—I mean, it tastes safe.”

“Oh, good. Maybe you should take a few more bites just to be sure.” Runaan did as he was told and took several more bites. Just in case.

“The moscato, too, please? One can never never be too careful.” Runaan nodded and grabbed the moonberry moscato, deeming that, too, safe. 

“If you don’t mind try the moonberry surprise I bought as well? For security reasons, of course.”

They made small talk while Runaan tasted Ethari’s food and the mood was so warm and welcoming. So the small feast continued and it took Runaan a little too long to realise that Ethari had practically set up a date and was feeding the assassin.  
.  
.  
.  
They arrived back home five days later, both of them reluctant to part. 

“Hey, um...” Ethari started off shyly. Moons above, why did he have to be so cute?

“Yes?”

“I was wondering... are you doing anything tomorrow morning?”

Runaan’s heart skipped a beat. “No. No plans here.”

Ethari looked down. “Oh, well, then would you l-like to have dinner together?”

Runaan melted right on the spot. “I’d love to.”

Ethari looked at Runaan and beamed. “Great! I’ll see you at my place tomorrow morning, then.”

Runaan almost fainted when he got back home. Ethari asked him out. On a date. This must have been the best mission of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this one was a little anti-climatic. Not my best chapter, but I hope y’all thought this was good, because I can never tell when I reread my own writing. I may or may not have gotten this from a prompt I found while surfing the internet. 👀
> 
> Btw, I did recently just start a new fic titled _The Things We Never Said._ It takes place right after season three and it’s about Rayllum and their found family finding a way to put Rayla’s family back together (basically Finding Runaan). It would mean a lot to me if you checked that out. Grazie!


	13. Until I'm Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runaan wants some attention, but Ethari is busy working on a project.
> 
> Canon-typical nocturnal elves in this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiii!! Sorry for not updating in a while. I've started school and I'm still working a job and we still haven't moved yet, so my stress levels are WAY UP HIGH. 
> 
> But here is some cute domestic fluff husbands as requested by @ashals-dream on tumblr. So sorry this took a long time, friend! Everyone else who has requested a chapter, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you.
> 
> Super short one because this is all my mind could come up with between classes.

After his three-day mission, Runaan was deprived of his husband's love. So obviously when he walked through the door of their shared home, he was expecting Ethari to be waiting for him and give him a big hug. Instead, he found a note taped to the wall next to the door.

_My Dearest Moonlight,_

_I'm sorry I'm not here. I'm at the forge working later than normal. I'll be home soon._

_Love, Ethari_

Runaan smiled at the note and went to the kitchen to start preparing dinner, pleasantly surprised when the found a vase of flowers on the counter. One of the things Runaan loved most about Ethari is how he always would love people in quiet, small gestures. But sometimes he would go that extra mile to make you feel loved. 

Runaan grabbed a cutting board, some veggies, and boiled water.

The smell of tuna noodle casserole and baked bread was a lovely smell when returning home from a hard nights work. Runaan had a whole romantic candle-lit dinner prepared, but Ethari didn't need a good dinner to be happy. His assassin was home and safe, and that's all he needed.

Runaan was standing at the sink washing the dishes he had used to prepare the meal, but must have been deep in thought because he didn't notice Ethari sneaking up on him. Well, he probably did notice, but didn't react because when Ethari wrapped his arms around Runaan's waist, Runaan just smiled and leaned into the touch.

"Why, hello, beautiful."

"Mmm. Hello. You going to greet me like that every time you find me doing dishes?"

"Are you complaining?"

"No," Runaan chuckled. Ethari kissed the nape of his neck.

"Sorry I'm late. I recently started a couple new projects."

"I know. You always do when I go."

"Because I worry about you and I miss you."

"I know. As do I." They both stood there with Ethari's arms wrapped around his waist as Runaan finished off the dishes, Ethari humming softly to the scrubbing and splashing of water, occasionally kissing Runaan's neck tenderly. "Shall we eat?"

"Yes, please! I'm starving."

The two of them spent the next thirty minutes enjoying the others company and catching up. When they were done with dinner, Runaan offered to clean up and Ethari excused himself to continue on another order. Once in his workshop, Ethari pulled out his tools and started tinkering away. Maybe an hour had passed when Ethari was interrupted by a poking in his shoulder. 

"Yes, love?"

"You coming to bed soon?"

"Yeah. Soon."

But fifteen minutes later and Ethari was still in his workshop. More poking.

"Hmm?"

"I need you."

"What for? Need me to open a jar?" Ethari chuckled and Runaan blushed. Ethari always closed jar lids so tight that Runaan would have to ask for help when he wanted to open one. But that wasn't it.

"No, I just..." Ethari had turned all of his attention on Runaan now. "I just need you is all."

Ethari melted and had to remind himself that Runaan had just returned from a mission, and usually after a mission he needed cuddles and love and attention. He frowned, looking down at his work. "I'm sorry, but I really need to finish this project." The look of abandonment on Runaan's face almost broke Ethari's heart.

"Okay."

But Runaan had different plans. He stood behind his loving husband and kept poking him. Over and over and over again for about five minutes before Ethari huffed.

"Can you please stop?" His tone was playful as Runaan continued his silent plea for attention. Then Ethari giggled when Runaan poked at his sides.

"Nope! Not until you give me attention." He booped him on the nose.

Ethari got an idea. "Fine. C'mere, you can sit on my lap until I'm done working."


	14. The Angels Were Always Looking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runaan grows flowers that bloom in the winter in his garden. Ethari likes to pick them, but he suspects Runaan doesn't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested by @mynewgroove on tumblr, here is your hurt/comfort chapter!! So sorry this took a while. I saw this other fanfic prompt online a while back and finally found a creative way to use it for you!
> 
> Yet another short chapter! But this one has feels.
> 
> I hope this is good?

The evening was cold as the snow settled, coming from the heavens. The angels had sent them. The angels were always looking out for everyone.

What a beautiful garden he had. During the winter, the garden would host flowers that bloomed in the cold, and what a wonderful thing this was. Ethari struggled to find flowers in the meadow during the winter, so he would sneak by early in the evening to pick some flowers. If Runaan noticed, then he didn't mind since he never said anything. But Ethari never got caught. She would enjoy them, he thought. She always had.

Ethari knelt in the flower bed, picking the last of the winter flowers. He didn't pick many because he didn't want to destroy the garden. But he never got caught. Well, not until Ethari felt a hand on his shoulder. Frightened, Ethari jumped to his feet and turned around.

"R-Runaan! I didn't expect you to be awake at this hour..." Ethari was sweating despite the bitter cold.

"I know why you're here." His voice was steady and calm. Ethari gulped.

"You do?"

"I know you pick flowers from my garden every Sunday evening in the winter. I've been watching for a while."

"I... It's not what it looks like!" Runaan smiled. "Well, it is, but... they're for someone else."

Runaan's smile faltered, and Ethari could have sworn there was a sort of sadness in his eyes. Runaan recovered quickly, though. "Are they? Well, I guess I better come along with you to make sure the girl is pretty enough to warrant flower theft."

_And now I'm trying to figure out how to break it to you that we're on our way to a graveyard._

Runaan had followed Ethari in silence, which was typical. What wasn't typical was how quiet Ethari was on the way there. Runaan didn't know what to make of this.

"So, what's her name?"

"Aashi," Ethari responded reverently, a smile smile painting his face.

The look of love and adoration breaks Runaan's heart; he thought he had found the right elf. He thought Ethari was the one. But Ethari was in love with someone else. And he deserved to be happy, with or without Runaan.

Runaan was confused when they walked past all the graves of the cemetery, but didn't say anything.

"Yes, she was beautiful. Her smile would light up the room and warm everyone right down to the core. Her jokes were always the best. She was so cheerful and positive, always knew what to say. She loved everyone and everyone loved her."

Runaan looked at the gravestone Ethari stopped in front of. Notes had been stuck to the back of the stone. Quotes. "Kindness is free. Sprinkle that stuff everywhere", "Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice", and other quotes. Ethari set the flowers down and kissed the gravestone.

But on the gravestone, below her name, were the words "Someone has to help."

"She was fourteen when she died. My sister. Those were her last words."

In that moment, everything made sense and Runaan felt guilty for assuming Ethari was in love with someone else. He felt guilty for being so selfish.

In that moment, Runaan took his hand, and Ethari never let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a prompt list on my phone and they make me so excited. I should update my Rayllum fic soon, though.


	15. Through Your Window, In Your Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runaan attempts the classic, cheesy climb-up-the-wall-and-to-their-window, but things don’t go exactly according to plan. And then he goes through Ethari’s window...
> 
> **Important: I have some spice towards the end, and it will be a little spicier than normal. If that’s not your cup of tea, I left a ‘stop here’ message in bold. It should wrap up nicely from there (I think).**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really sorry for having not updated this in a LONG time. But I’m still here!! 
> 
> I wouldn’t expect regular updates, seeing as this is something I do when I have ideas that drive me crazy—I spent a month obsessing over this chapter—but I do have other works in case you’re content starved and interested. I also have fic recommendations in my bookmarks if you want more.
> 
> I’m also starting at a new school in two days and my credits are all over the place, so that’s another reason. Lots of catching up to do. But I hope y’all enjoy this!!!

The pacing had been going on and on for weeks now. Runaan had worked everyone—especially himself—to exhaustion. Lain and Tiadrin watched from afar, not wanting to involve themselves in the situation unless asked to.

“We need to do something about it, Tiadrin. He’s going to drive himself and everyone else mad.”

Tiadrin sighed. “I think it’s best we keep our distance—for now. If he needs help, then he’ll ask for it.”

Lain frowned, letting it go for the time being.

He didn’t have any flowers. No, that wasn’t the mood he was going for. After two months of having nothing but Ethari occupy his every thought and being a complete and total mess, Lain and Tiadrin had finally intervened and had a discussion with Runaan. 

It was a good thing, too, because he probably wouldn’t be standing in front of Ethari’s doorstep at that very moment, rehearsing what to say. 

Tiadrin had threatened him, after all.

“Ethari, how are you on this fine evening? No, no. That’s too formal.”

“Ethari, I’ve come to tell you—no, stop it.”

He took in a breath of air.

“Will you marry—WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

Five minutes later. “You’re hot.”

There came some sort of foreign noise from above his head. 

“Why, thank you. I’m glad to see someone other than my grandma noticed.”

Shit. 

“E-Ethari! I-I—“ he stammered as Ethari chuckled.

“It’s okay. I take that as a compliment. How long have you been at my door?”

“How long have you been listening?”

“Since the ‘you’re hot’ part,” Ethari responded easily. 

“Oh, then that’s how long I’ve been here.” This caused Ethari to throw his head back laughing. “So what brings you here on this fine night?”

Runaan gulped. This wasn’t the mood he had been going for. “Um... I was just coming to check and see how you were doing. I heard you had burned yourself at the forge today and had to leave early.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t too bad, though. The other smiths made me go.”

He nodded. “That’s good. Well, I hope you get better.”

“Thanks.”

There was an awkward silence between them as neither made a move to leave. “Well, I better let you sleep, then.”

“Goodnight,” Ethari responded almost reluctantly.

“Goodnight,” Runaan answered as the craftsman closed his window.

Runaan was pacing around his living room three hours later. He had to wake up early for training, but there was no way he could sleep with Ethari on his mind. He had already taken a cold shower, but that hadn’t stopped him from his thoughts. And... what followed in his shower. It wasn’t fair that Ethari had to be so sexy.

Runaan continued his pacing in vain when suddenly he stopped. An idea had come to him. It might not have been the best idea, especially considering that it was late, but he had to do it.

Runaan was going to do it.

Tonight.

The night was dark despite the nearly full moon. It was enough for Runaan—being as powerful as he was—to turn nearly invisible. He stalked through the night on his way to Ethari’s house.

As he neared his home, a faint glowing caught his eye. Lunablooms. So he picked one and tucked it in behind him, under his belt. He took a deep breath as he stood in front of the house, coming up with a plan on how to go about this when he noticed the vines on the outer walls of the house.

He frowned nervously before grabbing the vines and checking to make sure they were steady. Satisfied with the sturdiness of the vines, he hoisted himself up, climbing like a spider up the wall, practically invisible to the eye. 

Ethari had decided to go to bed. He tried to busy his thoughts with crafting, but it was of no use. He had Runaan on his mind. _He’s so sweet for making sure I was okay,_ he thought to himself. It took a miracle for him to fall asleep.

Well, up until there was a knocking on his door. Groggy and confused, Ethari got out of bed stiffly, his body aching for him to return. He walked to his bedroom door when the knocking made him pause.

 _Hold on... is that...? Is that coming from my window?_ Thoroughly confused now, he went over to his bedroom window to investigate. Opening the window, he found no one there. Frowning, he tried looking down to see if someone was at his door if his head hadn’t bonked into something.

Or someone, he realised as that _someone_ became visible. _Very_ visible. 

Runaan lost his balance and hold on the vines when Ethari had bonked into him and fell from the second floor window to the ground, landing with an audible _oof!_

Ethari gasped when he realised what had happened, and realising _who_ it had happened to. 

“Garlath’s beard! Runaan, are you okay?”

His question was met with a groan. 

“Moons above,” he muttered. “I’ll be right down, Runaan! Don’t move!”

“No! Stay up there! I’m fine.” Runaan had suffered worse, everyone knew that assassins did. But Ethari still worried. 

“Are you insane? You’re hurt!”

But Runaan was determined to do this how he had planned, if the glare did anything to help. So far, his plan was failing. So much for that. 

“Stay.” 

It was probably supposed to sound like a threat, but Ethari found that _really_ hot. He would be lying if he said that he hadn’t been turned on a little at the sight of Runaan getting up, eyes locked on him.

So he stayed. 

Runaan walked to the wall and Ethari wanted to jump down from his window, shove the man against the wall and kiss him senseless. Runaan started climbing up the vines with less grace than before. But he was still hot. 

If Ethari hadn’t known better, he would have thought this was a romantic gesture. Cheesy, but romantic. But Ethari _did_ know better. Runaan doesn’t court anyone. Everyone knows that. It’s Silvergrove common knowledge, right next to _don’t mess with fire, Ethari._ Besides, he might not even be into men.

After what Runaan felt like was an eternity, he finally reached the windowsill and made sure to hold onto the vines real tight this time.

“Hey,” Runaan said stupidly.

“Hey. What you up to?” he asked casually. His smile was adorable, moonsdimnit.

“Ugh... I actually came here to talk to you.” Well no kidding, you dumb shit.

Ethari chuckled. “I can see. What about?”

The very muscular elf rested his chin on his hands and his elbows on the windowsill. And just like that, Runaan’s plan went out the door. Well, more like out the window. _So much for that._

When words failed him, Runaan put a hand behind his back and Ethari watched in awe as Runaan pulled out a lunabloom and presented it to the other.

“I-It’s for you.”

“Runaan... oh, it’s lovely,” Ethari gasped, taking the flower in his hands. “How’d you know?”

“You had mentioned it to me.”

Ethari’s brows furrowed. That was a month ago, and only once, during a casual conversation. Ethari looked at the flower, the soft gaze of Runaan’s eyes, the way his knuckles turned white from clinging onto the vines, how Runaan remembered the smallest details about him. 

“Oh. Right.”

A songbird flew by, nearly missing Runaan’s head. Ethari caught his arm to balance Runaan so he didn’t fall again.

“You want to come in? I’d hate to see you break that pretty smoulder of yours.” And that _wink!_

Runaan blushed as red as a lunar eclipse. “I— uh... okay.” _What is wrong with you? Get it together! He’s only inviting you in because he doesn’t want you to get hurt. You’re not having a sleepover._

Runaan winced as Ethari helped him get his still aching body over the edge of the windowsill and into the bedroom. Mmm, yes, this was nice, he admitted to himself as Ethari put his hand under Runaan’s thigh and lifted it over the ledge. Ethari scanned the rest of the assassin’s body—for what, Runaan wasn’t sure.

“Hmm, let me carry you to the bed, it’s more comfortable there.”

Runaan blushed harder than before, hoping that was the only thing doing something hard. He realised when he got his arms around the craftsman’s neck—and moons, was it strong—that Ethari didn’t sleep with a shirt on. Was it hot in here? Ethari cradled him bridal style with ease over to the bed. 

He settled down next to Runaan on the edge of the bed, knees touching, gaze piercing. They stayed like that for a few moments, staring deep into the other’s eyes, sharing silent messages of nothings but also of everythings. Well, until the craftsman’s eyelids started getting heavy.

“Ethari... I came here to talk to you.”

Ethari’s intelligent eyes fluttered open and hesitated for just a moment, still drowsy. “What about?”

He took a deep breath. “Do you ever get that flutter feeling in your chest and gut before you do something exciting? Like jump off a cliff into a lake, or light a bonfire up, run through the forest at night, or dance under the moon. Do you ever feel that? Because it’s been a long time since I have, until recently. I’ve felt this for a while now.” Ethari waited patiently. Or struggled to stay awake, one of the two. “My job... it requires me to be able to separate my emotions from my actions and surroundings. And I’m very good at it. But...”

“But...?”

“But when I’m with you, I can’t.”

Ethari frowned. “Runaan?”

“I guess what I’m trying to say is... I love you. I love you, Ethari, with all my heart. And there’s nothing I wouldn’t do in this world to keep you safe.”

“Runaan?”

There was a pause as Runaan braced himself. “Yes?”

“Shut up.”

Ethari’s voice was deep and gravely. If Runaan hadn’t known better, he would’ve said it had sounded like a demand. The audacity! Runaan had risked a lot to confess to Ethari, and this was his response?

“Make me.”

The best mistake he ever made.

Ethari took him by the collar of his shirt and smashed his mouth against the other’s. Taken by surprise, Runaan was slow to respond, causing Ethari to doubt his choice. 

Ethari broke the kiss after a few seconds of a non-responsive Runaan, cheeks warm. “S-sorry, I—”

Whatever he had to say was lost in time as Runaan took Ethari’s face in his hands and kissed him slowly. It was so beautiful as to what a simple, loving kiss could do to someone. 

“Don’t ever be sorry, love.”

**Stop here for a clean, no-spice ending.**

Ethari blushed at his new nickname before leaning forward again. The air grew thicker around them as everything else disappeared, the passion between the two elves growing stronger. Runaan had his hands in Ethari’s hair as Ethari cupped the assassin’s shoulder blades, trailing lower, lower, lower. 

Runaan gave a gasp when Ethari squeezed gently, allowing for the craftsman to slip his tongue in the other elf’s mouth. 

Oh. _Oh._

They both smiled into the kiss, chuckling softly when Ethari pushed Runaan onto his back. 

“Is this okay?” Ethari panted, his voice small and hesitant, loving, caring. 

Runaan gave some noise of consent from his throat. _Moons above, what have I become, a helpless mess at the mercy of this man._

Ethari smiled, his breath on Runaan’s skin, nose softly trailing up and down his jaw. “I’m going to need you to verbally consent, _love._ ”

Runaan groaned as the man on top of him teased at the bottom of his shirt, swinging his other leg over to straddle Runaan. In response, Runaan propped himself on his elbows, nose touching nose. 

“Yes, dear,” he whispered, helping Ethari slide his shirt up to reveal his abs. “As long as you’re okay with this.”

A deep wanting, an intensity, burned in Ethari’s eyes. _Oh damn,_ was all Runaan could think as the craftsman pulled his shirt over his head before pushing him back onto the mattress, watching his abs and biceps work over him. 

Ethari was trailing kisses on his neck, jaw, and chest, peppering him in his love. And oh, the amount of love Ethari had for him. Runaan squirmed under his touch, searching for something to ground himself to before he finally dug his fingers into Ethari’s muscles. 

Ethari had his hands on Runaan’s hips, teasing the skin there. Runaan moaned helplessly, hips thrusting up, making the other elf raise his eyebrows. 

“Mmm, I think I’ll enjoy tonight. How about you?”

Runaan just kissed him senseless, his hands moving to the waistband, a grin teasing at both their lips. “Nnngh. I’d enjoy it much more if you did something a little more productive with that mouth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umm, I really hope I got the part where Runaan is explaining what love feels like right. Idk, I’m on the aro and ace spectrum, so tell me what you think!
> 
> Love you all!! (Hope you had a lovely birthday, Jer!)


	16. These Scars That Make Us Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Runaan heals from his scars across his torso, Ethari can't help but get emotional.
> 
> **TW: spice! And big emotional fluff.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally written in a post on Tumblr, so my apologies if some of you have already read it. The prompt was delivered by the lovely Jer and magnificent Julia. (So sorry if you've read this, Lily, I know you in particular have been content starved.)
> 
> Anywho, I just copied and pasted the original short story (unedited) from my blog onto here so I actually have an organisation system...

Runaan squirmed under his husband’s loving touch, lips against skin. Ethari had him backed up against a wall (again) after slipping his husband’s shirt off, his hands on the assassin’s hips. He placed kiss after kiss down his jaw, down his neck, down, down, down…

“Hnghhhh… Ethari—” Runaan sang in his praises as his husband got on his knees.

Ethari hummed, passionate kisses stopping in their trails just below his right pec. “Mmm. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you how long I’ve waited to hold you.”

Ethari’s nose nuzzled against Runaan’s scars, hot breath making his hair stand up. Runaan didn’t know how to respond.

“It was so hard, Runaan. So hard,” he continued. “I wasn’t able to touch you. I wasn’t able to hold you. I couldn’t… I couldn’t find comfort in feeling you be physically with me without hurting you.”

Runaan’s heart broke as he watched his husband come undone in front of him, but not in the ways he hoped for tonight. He caressed Ethari’s chin in his hands, tilting up as he watched the tears run down his face.

“Oh, my light. Please don’t cry. I’m here now, and I’m alright, and that’s all that matters,” he comforted, absentmindedly wiping away the tears.

"I know, I just… I just wish I could be stronger, a better husband. But instead I’m reduced to a weeping mess every time you get hurt, and I can’t…”

Runaan shook his head. “No, no, love. Don’t say that. It’s not true. I couldn’t ask for a better husband than you. You _are_ so strong. So strong. It’s unfathomable how you get through your days knowing you may never see me again. Unthinkable. Yet you do it. Not many can.” Runaan had seen what the stress of his job did to couples. Callisto had divorced his wife last month, and he knew she had struggled with Callisto being gone so much, always winded up and waiting for his return.

Ethari seemed to digest his words, nodding slightly as he tried to accept them. “I love you so much, my heart. You mean so much to me.”

“I love you too.” Runaan leaned down for a kiss, basking in the presence of Ethari’s unconditional love. A few seconds went by and the two elves were back to passionate kisses and fluttering touches.

Runaan moaned as Ethari’s mouth made its way down, down, down…


	17. You Deserve to be Cared for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ethari gets hurt and Runaan and Rayla don’t know what to do, other than panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve decided to kill two birds with one stone tonight. This chapter was requested by @mynewgroove on tumblr (hurt/comfort/domestic husbands), and Eezic on ao3 (Ethari getting hurt and Runaan and Rayla freaking out). These prompts have been sitting around for, what, two months? Three? Yeah... remember when I said I’d get it done soon?
> 
> I have two more requests to complete. (Don’t worry, angsty anon, I haven’t forgotten you. I’m just procrastinating.)
> 
> Anyways, here’s to Jer and Eezic!! 🥂

It wasn’t like it was a big deal. _Stuff like this happens all the time amongst blacksmiths, right?_

 _Right?_ Ethari thought as he looked down.

The acid had burned right through his shirt and onto his skin, sizzling still echoing through the air. Had the firewood not been crackling, that would have been the only sound. His skin had already started blistering and bubbling on his chest.

This was bad.

He looked up from his chest and winced as the pain started to kick in. The stairs to the living room were just right there, but nobody was home. It would take effort, but he would make it to the shower to rinse the acid off. He could do this.

Setting the bottle of acid down caused pain to sparkle throughout his body. Next, he would need to--

The shop door opened. “Ethari! You would not _believe_ what I did at school today!” the voice of Rayla screeched. 

He cringed at her high volume. Hadn’t they talked about her bursting into his workshop while he was busy? The broken ceramic jewel box was a testament of that. Or, well, what remains. But that was the least of Ethari’s concerns at the moment.

“--and all the other kids were like, ‘AAAAAHHHH!!!’ But the teacher looked _so_ much better with warts and purple hair and a spider sticking out her--” Rayla stopped midsentence once she turned to Ethari, mouth hanging open with her arms frozen in the air as she had been flailing them about not a moment before. She had caught him lifting his shirt over his head, chest revealed. He had to admit, his six-year-old daughter was so fun.

“Shadowpaw got your tongue?”

“Garlath’s teeth! Ethari, you’re hurt!” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Oh no, what do I do? That looks bad. I-I don’t know what to do. I can’t lose you, Ethari. Not you, too.” The tiny elf started sobbing in her panic and confusion, forcing tears to sting the craftsman’s eyes as well. 

“Rayla, listen to me very carefully, okay? Do I have your attention?” She sniffed, wiping her face before nodding. “I need you to go upstairs and start the shower. Make sure it’s on cold, okay?”

She nodded and ran as fast as her short legs would carry her up the stairs. Ethari winced as the acid continued to sting. _That’s what you get for not paying attention when dealing with magical acids._ He then trudged up the stairs and to the bathroom he and Runaan shared.

Work was as demanding as always. It required his full attention with no distractions. Runaan was currently briefing a squad about a mission, the five assassins listening intently in their line. Their mission wouldn’t be too dangerous or difficult, thankfully.

“--Aiden will come in from the sides and--”

He was going through the plan with them when a tugging at the bottom of his overcoat interrupted him. He looked down to find the source of said distraction, only to find a white head of hair and wide purple eyes staring up at him.

“Wha-- Rayla? W-what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at home.”

Tears started welling up in her eyes at his stern, borderline angry tone. “I... I didn’t...”

Runaan’s face softened at her hiccupping and trembling chin. He knelt down to her height and wiped away at her tears. “Hey, shh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get angry with you.” She stepped in for a hug and he waited for her to calm down. “Now, I’m sure you have a very good reason to be here, yes?”

She nodded, wiping at her nose. “Runaan, I-I’m scared.”

He knit his eyebrows together. He had a sudden urge to protect his daughter from what ever was troubling her. He held her tighter, looking up as though he would be able to spot the threat. “What of?”

“Ethari, he... he’s hurt. I think it’s bad, but I can’t tell.” She pointed to her chest as she spoke, a sign that Ethari’s chest was hurt. 

“It’ll be alright, little shadow,” he said, standing up.

“You promise?”

“I promise.” He took one look to Callisto—who had been standing behind him—who nodded. He could handle the rest of the briefing. 

He gave one last glance towards the group—who had watched the events with interest and one even looked on the verge of crying himself—before sprinting off into the woods. 

Rayla stood there, frustrated with how she couldn’t run as fast as him. She looked up to Callisto, who returned a small smile. 

“You know, I’m pretty sure Runaan has a bag of moonberries sitting on his desk. I could also use some help with getting some of these assassins into shape. I don’t think Runaan or Ethari would be too cross if you stayed a wee bit longer.”

He could have sworn stars started shooting out of her eyes.

He was still under the cold water of the shower when the bathroom door came bursting open. Again.

_What is up with this family and dramatic entrances?_

“Ethari!”

The craftsman jumped when he heard his husband call his name; foot slipping, head on a one-way trip to the ground. Luckily for him, he married an assassin, and a quick one at that. Runaan was on him at an instant, one arm slipped across his chest as he stepped into the bath with his boots on, coming up from behind Ethari; his other arm caught onto the bar drilled into the wall for times like these. Strong muscles moved against Ethari as Runaan got him upright again.

“Are you okay?” Runaan stared at him with worried eyes, one foot still in the tub, water still running. The dirt from his boot caused mud to mix with the water, water from the showerhead soaking him as well.

“Yeah, thanks to you.”

Runaan frowned at his husband’s light flirting. “That’s not what I meant. Rayla came to find me and told me you’re-- Oh, moons above!” His husband’s eyes traveled down to his bare chest, taking in the sight as a hand went up to cover his gaping mouth.

Ethari looked down. “What? Like what you see?”

Runaan hadn’t even realised his love was naked, but he didn’t care. That was not the focus here. Besides, he’d seen Ethari naked many times. Such as last night...

“Ethari, now is not the time for...” He paused, not sure what to do for the first time in his life. “Oh, god!”

Ethari reached his hand out. “Hey, I’m going to be okay, alright?” Runaan nodded, still panicked.

“W-we need to get you to the clinic.”

He shook his head. “No, I’ll be fine.” Was he turning into Runaan? Trying to cover up his pain? He shivered, and it wasn’t because of the water. Runaan gave him a hard stare. “Please...”

The assassin sighed, caving in. “Fine, but if I ever have my doubts, I’m dragging you into that clinic ass-first.”

Ethari tried not to think about that too hard. “Deal.”

Ethari’s back hit the bed with a groan. His breath came in huffs as Runaan moved to straddle his lap, hands still pushing Ethari down. His eyes roamed the craftsman’s bare, heaving chest as he settled in his lap.

“Runaan...” The man in question raised an eyebrow, reaching for the tray on the nightstand which had a tube settled on it. Grabbing the syringe-looking tube, Runaan held it up.

“Ethari, are you sure about this? I don’t want to hurt you.”

Another groan escaped his throat. “Yes, I’m sure. _Ugh,_ Runaan, please. I need you...”

With a reluctant sigh, Runaan started squirting the bottle some. Ethari drew in more sharp inhales, his breath shaky as he tried not to whimper.

“No squirming,” he commanded, followed by a particularly rough push of his fingers.

“ _Ah,_ Runaan--”

The assassin stopped his ministrations. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry! Did I hurt you? Was that too rough?”

Ethari tried to smile through his gritted teeth. “Yeah, it hurts a lot. Runaan, it really hurts,” he cried, going for his best _I’m-in-so-much-pain-please-have-mercy_ act.

His eyes watered a little. “No, I’m so sorry! We should stop--”

“--Runaan. I was being sarcastic.”

This earned a confused--and adorable--face from his husband. Runaan bit his lip in obvious contemplation, worried about his beloved. They were almost done anyways...

He kept going until finally the liquids had all been shot out onto Ethari’s chest. Ethari panted as Runaan leaned back on his heels, taking a moment to calm his racing heart.

“See? That wasn’t so bad.” 

Runaan arched a high brow down at his love. “Yes, it was.”

Rayla, who sat with her legs crossed on the floor of the doorway, huffed an annoyed breath and rolled her eyes. “You guys are babies.”

It was Ethari’s turn to raise his eyebrows at her now. Runaan set the empty syringe tube down and reached for the gauze as Rayla climbed onto their bed.

“Can I wrap it up this time?”

“Of course, moonlight. Just remember to wrap it lightly around his chest. If you wrap it too tight, the wound won’t get enough air.”

She nodded, looking down at Ethari’s wounds. The craftsman smiled at their daughter, indicating at where she needed to start, the two of them giving her pointers along the way.

“Like that?” Her voice was small and nervous. She hated seeing her family in pain. She hated causing harm to them.

“Yes, just like that, my little blade. You want to give it a bow?”

Her smile was as bright as the full moon as she tied the end off in a bow.

“It looks so pretty now. I love it.” Ethari leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead as she sighed contently. “Why don’t you get ready for bed, hmm? We’ll be right there.”

Rayla nodded with a wide yawn before sliding off the bed and making her way down the stairs. Runaan turned back to Ethari.

“Ethari, I’m really worried about the burn. I... you’ve always taken care of me, but I’ve never had to take care of you in this sense before.”

“It’s a good thing, too. I can barely handle one of us being broken all the time,” he chuckled before wincing, Runaan trying his best to sooth his hurting husband. “It’s going to be okay. If it puts your heart at ease, you can take me to the clinic if it doesn’t start healing soon. I just...”

Runaan took his chin in his hands, another one of his silent gestures of comfort.

“You’re always gone, and I miss you when you’re not here, and I don’t want to be the one who causes you and Rayla that same pain.”

“My light, we _want_ you to get better. It’s not always about you making us happy. Sometimes it’s about us making _you_ happy. You deserve to be happy.”

He nodded, kissing the hand that now caressed his jaw. “I love you so much, my heart.”

A small peck to his forehead. “I love you, too.”

Boots clicked against wooden floorboards, never missing a beat. Runaan had his arms wrapped around his daughter, who had fallen asleep clinging onto him as he paced in the waiting room of the clinic. 

His light had been in with the healer for nearly thirty minutes and he was starting to get worried. No, starting to wasn’t the right phrase. He had _definitely_ been worried before taking him in. Now he felt like he was going to drop dead on the spot. 

He paced for a little while longer before the healer came out of Ethari’s patient room. He looked up, concern and fear storming his eyes. 

She put a hand to the shoulder Rayla didn’t have currently occupied by her head and smiled. She looked exhausted and relieved. 

“Ethari is going to be okay.” He released his breath. “However—” However? “—there will be scarring on his chest. He’ll need a few days or even a few weeks to heal, depending on how well his body takes to this new trial. But he will be just fine. I suggest taking him home and having him rest for several days.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

She squeezed his shoulder before leaving to care for the next patient, Runaan free to go see Ethari. He walked in to find his muscular craftsman covered in gauze all over his chest like some mummy. 

“Runaan!” he whispered, taking care not to wake Rayla. 

“Ethari.” He was at his husband’s side on the bed in an instant, lips pressing against his cheek. “I missed you.”

“We were separated for thirty minutes, my shade. What do you do on your missions?”

Ethari’s chuckle warmed him up right to the core. “Miss you something terrible.”

“I bet. Did the healer tell you anything about my condition?”

“You’re going to die. Good riddance.”

Ethari did his best to smack his husband’s arm. Rarely did Runaan crack a joke, and some days he wondered if he even knew how. But he grinned nonetheless. 

“You’re not very funny.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha!!! Who here thought scene four was a sex scene? 🤣
> 
> Okay, let’s talk about scene four for anyone who is still confused. So I attempted to be sneaky but I’m not sure how that worked out (comments? Feedback?). Basically, Ethari’s pain flares up and Runaan is flushing the wound, even though technically he should be under cold running water, but that’s a minor detail. Yeah, so I tried being sneaky in making you peeps think it was a sex scene when really it was a hurt/comfort scene. Did I get anyone? Anyone horrified when they read that Rayla watched the whole thing?
> 
> Plot-wise, I feel like this was a pretty okay chapter. Structurally? I definitely could have done better. I feel like it was very straightforward in how it was worded.
> 
> Okay, Eezic and Jer, you two gotta let me know if this fits what you had in mind. I tried going for a panicked Runaan and Rayla, but that wasn’t how I imagined it to go...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Kudos are great, but comments warm my heart!


	18. I'll Never Leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla gets in trouble, but Runaan comes to understand why she did what she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited because I haven't slept in days. Here's some angst/fluff mainly between Runaan and Rayla.
> 
> Also, sorry for not updating in over a month. You wouldn't believe how hard school can get when you move halfway through the semester.

Runaan was making his trek home from training late in the evening, the air solemn and stiff as he climbed the steps to their home, Ethari in the doorway of the front door, silhouetted by the light flowing from within. But that didn’t mean his husband’s deep frown and troubles weren’t eminent. 

Once he reached the top of the stairs he took in the sight of his love; eyebrows furrowed, lips curved down, arms folded firmly, eyes not meeting his own. Runaan put a hand to his husband’s face, caressed his cheek, stepped closer into his space.

“What’s wrong, dear?” he started, his other hand joining the first in cupping Ethari’s face before planting a kiss to his downturned lips.

A sigh and a shake of a head was all Runaan got, Ethari’s eyes closing. The craftsman was tired, frustrated, but most prominently, disappointed. But not with Runaan. The taller elf leaned into the touch, taking comfort, for just a moment before moving aside to let Runaan inside, closing the door behind them after he savoured his husband’s sweet scent and warm touch. If just for a moment.

After taking off his boots and setting his bowblade against the wall, the first thing Runaan noticed when he turned around were the walls. His eyes widened, taking in the scene before him. The walls were covered in different colours, some of them placed at random with no strategy, others with more precise and defined meaning. He looked over at Ethari, whose whole body was tense as he kept his head down and bit his lip, anger rolling off him in waves.

“Redecorating?” 

Ethari glared back. _Too soon, got it._ He swept his gaze around the living room area, taking in the markers on the ground. Sighing, Runaan got his coat off, hung it up on the coat rack, and made his way to Ethari, settling his hands comfortably on his hips.

“I’ll take care of this, alright?” Ethari only huffed in response, rolling his eyes. Only when Runaan placed a kiss to his forehead did he soften a little. “There we are.”

Rayla never heard the sound of footsteps entering into their home. She never heard footsteps making the climb up the stairs. She never heard the creaking of the floorboards making their way to her room. Never. Not once. And now was no exception. She never heard them, but she knew they were coming nonetheless. She dreaded every silent noise that occupied her ears.

There was a knock at her bedroom door.

“Rayla? Can I come in?”

She sniffled, wiping her face from her earlier tears. The voice behind the door was soft, kind, but strained. The calm before the storm. Although the storm would not be explosive, she supposed, her mind supplying the look of disappointment on Ethari’s face from earlier.

“No!”

A frustrated sigh. “And why not?”

“I want to be left alone!”

Angry silence. After what felt like forever, Rayla couldn’t take the silence much longer. Was he still there? Did he leave?

“Rayla. Please let me in.”

There was a hint of danger in his voice, but the young elfling knew the older elf wouldn’t act on such urges. Still...

It took some effort, seeing as that she had to get on her tippy toes to reach, but soon enough the handle budged and the door cracked open just a little. He frowned, but he wouldn’t open it further without her permission. The door told him a lot of things about Rayla’s current mood and levels of trust. Moons above, she was so much like him! How does Ethari put up with it?

He pushed his frustration down, though, instead settling with an exasperated sigh. 

“Ray?” Shuffling was all he got. “I need you to talk to me, Ray.”

Ray. He called her Ray. Immediately, Rayla couldn’t help but feel the guilt of what she had done. She’d done something wrong, and now her uncles hated her for it. He used that name against her, her betrayal hurting herself like a knife. Mom and Dad had called her that... before they left...

In that moment, Rayla couldn’t take the crushing guilt anymore. Her lip quivered and her nostrils twitched before tears fell down her face, silently at first. Maybe that’s all she was good for. Or maybe not, she told herself as her shoulders started to shake, sobs coming out in broken hiccups and whimpers. Runaan must have heard because the door swung open, letting the assassin into yet more chaos, stopping dead in his steps.

The walls were covered in even more marker than the living room, all of the streaks colourful. But they were just streaks, placed seemingly at random to the naked eye, but once you looked closer, it was based off of tactics. Runaan’s anger started the bubble as he thought about all the time he and Ethari would have to spend repainting the walls. Their schedule’s were busy enough as it was, they didn’t need another stress to deal with now? Why hadn’t Rayla drawn on a piece of paper like normal children--

“I’m sorry,” he heard her whimper. “Please don’t be mad.”

He sighed heavily for the umpteenth time in the past two minutes. “Rayla, you _know_ you’re not supposed to--”

But her guilty, heartbroken face stopped him short. 

“I-I know, but I...” She broke down into sobs again.

“What’s wrong, little blade?” he inquired, getting down on her level.

“Mom and Dad...” He couldn’t help but feel his heart break when her voice cracked. “They were supposed to send a letter, but...”

But it never came.

“Why?” No. “Why’d they have to leave me?” No.

He closed his eyes. They knelt like that for a few minutes before Rayla got up and walked over to one of her walls, the one where the colourful streaks were most abundant. Each streak came from one central point behind the painting of the adoraburr meadow. Each streak continued to wrap around the room, spreading out the farther they went. With a little bit of struggle, Rayla managed to get the painting off the wall.

A gasp escaped Runaan’s lips when he saw what was on the wall. Where the painting had once been was now replaced with marker wall art, the streaks stopping to outline a heart.

And in that blank heart was them. Him, Ethari, and Rayla were all holding hands and smiling, the older elves on either side of her. 

Above Runaan, in small print, was the word “Dad”. And above Ethari was the word “Dad”.

Below them was one word in terrible hand writing: F A M i L y.

With the _y_ backwards.

“Oh... Rayla...”

More tears ran down her face. “I’m sorry, Runaan. I’m sorry, please don’t be mad. Please don’t leave me. I’m so so sorry.”

Runaan’s own eyes shined and quick was he to scoop her up in his arms against his chest.

“Moonbeam, no. No, it’s okay. It’s okay, moonbeam. I’m not upset with you. Shhh, it’s alright, love, I’ve got you.”

“I... you’re not mad?”

“No.”

“And you won’t... leave me?” _Like my parents did,_ was left unsaid.

He buried his face in her hair, kissing between her budding horns protectively.

“Never.”

It was only once she had cried herself to sleep--and after Runaan tenderly tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight--that Runaan’s foot kicked something that had come from underneath the bed. He bent down to pick it up, a piece of paper that had been wadded up and torn. Putting the pieces together, Runaan gasped when he recognised the crayon drawing on it.

She had drawn this the night before her parents had left. She’d meant to give it to them. It was a picture of her parents holding her tight.

But now?

Now the drawing had a red marker “X” across the drawing, the paper torn and crumpled, under her bed, neglected and forgotten, just as she had felt.

He kissed the top of her forehead one last time before turning her lamp off.

“We’ll never leave you, Rayla. I swear it to the moon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated. <3 Sorry if it doesn't have the same energy, I'm currently on study break from my third all-nighter in a row. Peace!


End file.
